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topos

[toh-pohs, ‐pos]
noun, plural to·poi [toh-poi] /ˈtoʊ pɔɪ/.
  1. a convention or motif, especially in a literary work; a rhetorical convention.
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Origin of topos

First recorded in 1935–40, topos is from the Greek word (koinós) tópos ‘(common) place’
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for topoi

Historical Examples of topoi

  • Again, under the seventh head, that of melopoiia or composition, he treats of the 'regions of the voice' (topoi ts phns).

    The Modes of Ancient Greek Music

    David Binning Monro

  • The text of this passage is uncertain; but the general character of the topoi or regions of the voice is clearly enough indicated.

British Dictionary definitions for topoi

topos

noun plural -oi (-ɔɪ)
  1. a basic theme or concept, esp a stock topic in rhetoric
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Word Origin for topos

C20: Greek, literally: place
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for topoi

topos

n.

1948, from Greek topos, literally "place."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper