English

Suffix

-trophic

1. Used to form adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -trophy

Usage notes

Frequently confused with -tropic ‎(“growth, development; nutrition”), which is instead from Ancient Greek τροπικός ‎(tropikós, “of or pertaining to a turn or change; or the solstice; or a trope or figure; tropic; tropical; etc.”), from τροπή ‎(tropḗ, “turn; solstice; trope”).^[1] Compare trophic hormone (effects growth) and tropic hormone (drives other glands) and tropho-/tropo-.

Derived terms

Related terms

• -trophy

Translations

References

1. ↑ “Trophic vs. Tropic”, Werner Steinberg, JAMA, May 3, 1952, 149(1), p. 82, doi:10.1001/jama.1952.02930180084027.