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• topo-
  topo-

  a combining form meaning “place,” “local,” used in the formation of compound words.
• topo
  topo

  noun

  mountaineering a picture of a mountain with details of climbing routes superimposed on it

topo-

American  

1. a combining form meaning “place,” “local,” used in the formation of compound words.

   topography; topology.

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topo- ¹ British  

combining form

1. indicating place or region

   topography

   topology

   toponym

   topotype

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topo ² British  

/ ˈtɒpəʊ /

noun

1. mountaineering a picture of a mountain with details of climbing routes superimposed on it

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Usage

What does topo- mean? Topo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “place” or "local." It is often used in scientific and other technical terms. Topo- comes from the Greek tópos, meaning “place” or “commonplace.” Commonplace? Yep, discover why at our entry here. The word topic also ultimately comes from the Greek tópos. What are variants of topo-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, topo- becomes top-, as in topalgia.

Etymology

Origin of topo-

Combining form of Greek tópos place, commonplace

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

topo- topo

But in her topo- graphical ignorance as a late comer to the place, she misreckoned the distance of her journey as not much more than half what it really was.

From Far from the Madding Crowd by Hardy, Thomas

Unlike pancake-flat Delft, the Washington suburb where I live is a crenelated topo of rolling hills, such that if I rode anywhere I was sentencing myself to multiple back-breaking climbs just to get home.

From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2023

Some pointed out recent offenses: the preposterous sight of a player looking at a topo map instead of the ground before a putt.

From Golf Digest ● Jul. 29, 2017

“It creates an accurate topo model to determine cuts, the amount of fill and other requirements. It’s really an amazing tool.”

From Washington Times ● Nov. 12, 2016

We said of course and we had topo maps of the park.

From New York Times ● Sep. 20, 2016

“So these loops are elevation lines. A topo map shows the contours of the land, from the highest mountain peak to the lowest valley. Think of it as 3D on a 2D piece of paper.”

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila