TROPE Definition & Meaning

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trope

[trohp]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Rhetoric.��
1. any literary or rhetorical device, as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony, that consists in the use of words in other than their literal sense.
2. an instance of this.
a phrase, sentence, or verse formerly interpolated in a liturgical text to amplify or embellish.
1. a recurring theme or motif, as in literature or art: the heroic trope.
  the trope of motherhood;
  the heroic trope.
2. a convention or device that establishes a predictable or stereotypical representation of a character, setting, or scenario in a creative work: The author relies on our knowledge of the Haunted House trope to set the scene.
  From her introduction in the movie, the character is nothing but a Damsel in Distress trope.
  The author relies on our knowledge of the Haunted House trope to set the scene.
(in the philosophy of Santayana) the principle of organization according to which matter moves to form an object during the various stages of its existence.

-trope

a combining form meaning “one turned toward” that specified by the initial element (heliotrope ); also occurring in concrete nouns that correspond to abstract nouns ending in -tropy or -tropism:
allotrope.

trope

/ �ٰ�əʊ�� /

noun

rhetoric a word or expression used in a figurative sense
an interpolation of words or music into the plainsong settings of the Roman Catholic liturgy

-trope

combining form

indicating a turning towards, development in the direction of, or affinity to
heliotrope

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of trope¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin tropus “figure in rhetoric, manner of singing” from Greek �ٰ�ó��ǲ� “turn, manner, style, figure of speech,” akin to �ٰ�é��𾱲� “to turn, direct, show”

Origin of trope²

< Greek -tropos; trope, tropo-

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of trope¹

C16: from Latin tropus figurative use of a word, from Greek tropos style, turn; related to trepein to turn

Origin of trope²

from Greek tropos a turn

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

L.A. author Julie Clark’s fourth novel breathes fresh air into the old trope of the protagonist returning home to confront an unsolved crime.

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There is a problem with making policy decisions based on the unfounded belief that poverty is about people with bad moral character making bad choices, or on debunked racial tropes of undeserving “welfare queens.”

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The trope was that vets coming home from the war were commonly spat upon by war protesters.

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“Dangerous Animals” hooks all the shark movie tropes that audiences want to see along one extended fishing lure, before twisting that lure into a knot, forcing expectations to collide and shatter.

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The blood libel is a notorious antisemitic trope that goes back to medieval Europe, falsely accusing Jews of killing Christians, especially children, to use their blood in religious rituals.

From

Related 51�Թ�s

figure��
idea��
impression��
notion��
perception��
thought��
vision��

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When To Use

What is a trope?

A trope is a recurring element or a frequently used plot device in a work of literature or art.A trope can be a person, place, thing, or situation. While you might not have known the definition of trope, you likely have plenty of experience with them if you enjoy literature or art.The chosen one is a very common trope used in fantasy and science fiction stories, for example. The chosen one is a character (usually the protagonist) who is the only person in the universe who can save the day or foil the villain’s evil scheme, such as Harry Potter in J. K. Rowling’s series.Another popular trope is a MacGuffin, an object that a plot focuses on. The hero and villain might fight over it or the hero might have to find it in the hero’s quest (another trope!). The MacGuffin serves no other purpose, so details about it don’t matter. In the Indiana Jones movies, Indiana is always chasing a lost treasure that the villains also want. Because the treasure isn’t important other than because the hero and villain both want it, it’s a MacGuffin.

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What does -trope mean?

The combining form -trope is used like a suffix meaning “one turned outward.” It is also used in concrete nouns that correspond to abstract nouns ending in -tropy or -tropism (e.g., an allotrope is an instance of allotropy).The form -trope ultimately comes from the Greek �ٰ�ó��ǲ�, “turn," and �ٰ��Ǳ�ḗ, "a turning." The Greek �ٰ�ó��ǲ� is also the source of the words trope and tropical. It’s your turn to make the connection between “turning,” figures of speech, and the tropics at our entries for the words.The combining forms -tropic and -tropous can be used as adjective forms of nouns ending with -trope, -tropy, and -tropism.Corresponding forms of -trope combined to the beginning of words are tropo- and trop-, which you learn more about at our 51�Թ�s That Use articles for the forms.

tropaion troph-

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