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Definition 2024

-tropic

-tropic

See also: tropic and Tropic

English

Suffix

-tropic

  1. (sciences) turning or changing
  2. (sciences) affecting or attracted to the thing specified

Usage notes

Frequently confused with -trophic ‎(“growth, development; nutrition”), which is instead from Ancient Greek τροφικός ‎(trophikós, “pertaining to food or nourishment”), from τροφή ‎(trophḗ, “food”).[1] Compare tropic hormone (drives other glands) and trophic hormone (effects growth) and tropo-/tropho-.

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:English_words_suffixed_with_-tropic'>English words suffixed with -tropic</a>

Related terms

Translations

References

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

Etymology

Borrowing 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”). Compare trope and tropic.

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