topos

American  

[toh-pohs, ‑pos] / ˈtoʊ poʊs, ‑pɒs /

noun

plural

topoi

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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Etymology

Origin of topos

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

Example Sentences

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 library, perceived as a form of trans-human memory, a space of topos uranikos filled with eternal information, was the collection of ideas and forms that one referred to when in need of guidance.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai