topos

[toh-pohs, ‐pos]

noun, plural to·poi

[toh-poi] /ˈtoʊ pɔɪ/.

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

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

British Dictionary definitions for topos

topos

noun plural -oi (-ɔɪ)

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

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 topos

1948, from Greek topos, literally "place."