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topos

[toh-pohs, ‐pos]
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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
British Dictionary definitions for topos

topos

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

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

n.

1948, from Greek topos, literally "place."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper