trophy
[troh-fee]
- anything taken in war, hunting, competition, etc., especially when preserved as a memento; spoil, prize, or award.
- anything serving as a token or evidence of victory, valor, skill, etc.: a sports trophy.
- a symbol of success that is used to impress others: He bought the lavish home as a trophy.
- a carving, painting, or other representation of objects associated with or symbolic of victory or achievement.
- any memento or memorial.
- a memorial erected by certain ancient peoples, especially the Greeks and Romans, in commemoration of a victory in war and consisting of arms or other spoils taken from the enemy and hung upon a tree, pillar, or the like.
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- noting or relating to a symbol of success that is used to impress others: They just want a near-perfect trophy child to brag about.
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Origin of trophy
1505–15; earlier trophe < French trophée < Latin trop(h)aeum < Greek trópaion, noun use of neuter of trópaios, Attic variant of tropaîos of turning or putting to flight, equivalent to trop(ḗ) a turning (akin to trépein to turn) + -aios adj. suffix. See trope
-trophy
- a combining form used in the formation of nouns with the general senses “nourishment, feeding” (mycotrophy), “growth” (hypertrophy); also forming abstract nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -trophic.
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Origin of -trophy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
citationprizegoldcupkeepsakecrownsouvenirdecorationmedalmementomemorialbootyguerdonspoilstokenreminderribbonpalmExamples from the Web for trophy
Contemporary Examples
In straight relationships with an age gap, words like ‘gold-digger’ and ‘trophy wife’ get thrown around.
Get a thrill, get off a lucky shot, take home a trophy, put it up in a secret chamber of our heart.
“Management” in this situation means issuing permits for trophy grizzly hunts.
The charity gets its name from the symbolic date when the America's Cup trophy left the U.K.
Its horrific title aside, Trophy Wife was the closest thing in style, tone, and humor to Modern Family that ABC had ever produced.
Historical Examples
You worship victories, for in your trophies the cross is the heart of the trophy.
The Non-Christian CrossJohn Denham Parsons
But, after all, Max carried the trophy of Steve's shots close to the camp.
With Trapper Jim in the North WoodsLawrence J. Leslie
Then Doug turned placidly back to the construction of his trophy.
The ForestStewart Edward White
They captured about two hundred shields, and set up a trophy.
HellenicaXenophon
On this spot the Ephesians erected a trophy, and another at Coressus.
HellenicaXenophon
trophy
- an object such as a silver or gold cup that is symbolic of victory in a contest, esp a sporting contest; prize
- a memento of success, esp one taken in war or hunting
- (in ancient Greece and Rome)
- a memorial to a victory, usually consisting of captured arms raised on the battlefield or in a public place
- a representation of such a memorial
- an ornamental carving that represents a group of weapons, etc
- (modifier) informal highly desirable and regarded as a symbol of wealth or successa trophy wife
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Word Origin
C16: from French trophée, from Latin tropaeum, from Greek tropaion, from tropē a turning, defeat of the enemy; related to Greek trepein to turn
-trophy
- indicating a certain type of nourishment or growthdystrophy
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Word Origin
from Greek -trophia, from trophē nourishment
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for trophy
n.
1510s, "a spoil or prize of war," from Middle French trophée (15c.) from Latin trophaeum "a sign of victory, monument," originally tropaeum, from Greek tropaion "monument of an enemy's defeat," noun use of neuter of adjective tropaios "of defeat," from trope "a rout," originally "a turning" (of the enemy); see trope. Figurative extension to any token or memorial of victory is first recorded 1560s. Trophy wife attested by 1984.
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-trophy
word-forming element meaning "food, nourishment," from Greek trophe "food, nourishment," related to trephein "make thrive, nourish, rear; to make solid, congeal, thicken."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
-trophy
- Nutrition; growth:hypertrophy.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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