topos

American  

[toh-pohs, -pos] / ˈtoʊ poʊs, -pɒs /

noun

• topoi
  plural

1. a convention or motif, especially in a literary work; a rhetorical convention.

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topos British  

/ ˈtɒpɒs /

noun

1. a basic theme or concept, esp a stock topic in rhetoric

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• topoi
  plural

Etymology

Origin of topos

First recorded in 1935–40; from Greek (koinós) tópos “(common) place”; see topic ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

topos

And now it’s part of the topos of teaching, whether instructors are trained for it or not.

From Slate ● Feb. 15, 2022

The workers — specialists known in Mexico as topos, or moles — have drilled a tunnel to gain access to the interior.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2017

The national disdain of the “intellectual” is a frequent topos in my writing.

From The New Yorker ● Nov. 21, 2016

But it also stands as a cinematic topos pregnant with meaning.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 22, 2010

The name means "nowhere," from two Greek words, "ou," no, and "topos," a place.

From English Literature for Boys and Girls by H. E. (Henrietta Elizabeth) Marshall