noun · verb · 16 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/tɹəʊp/
Received-Pronunciation:[tɹ̥əʊp]
General-American:trōp
General-American:/tɹoʊp/
rhymes with -əʊp
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature; a motif.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: art, arts, literature, media, publishing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An addition (of dialogue, song, music, etc.) to a standard element of the liturgy, serving as an embellishment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: medieval Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning, such as a metaphor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rhetoric
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Mathematical senses.
A tangent space meeting a quartic surface in a conic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: geometry, mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Mathematical senses.
The reciprocal of a node on a surface.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
Topics: geometry, mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
Musical senses.
A short cadence at the end of the melody in some early music.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Musical senses.
A pair of complementary hexachords in twelve-tone technique.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
Musical senses.
A cantillation pattern, or one of the marks that represents it.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Judaism
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ta'amim, teamim, te'amim
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
Philosophical senses.
Any of the ten arguments used in skepticism to refute dogmatism.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Greek
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
Philosophical senses.
A particular instance of a property (such as the specific redness of a rose), as contrasted with a universal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: metaphysics
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
verb
Meaning 11
To use, or embellish something with, a trope.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
verb
Meaning 12
Senses relating chiefly to art or literature.
To represent something figuratively or metaphorically, especially as a literary motif.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
verb
Meaning 13
Senses relating chiefly to art or literature.
To turn into, coin, or create a new trope.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
verb
Meaning 14
Senses relating chiefly to art or literature.
To analyse a work in terms of its literary tropes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
verb
Meaning 15
To think or write in terms of tropes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
16
noun
Meaning 16
language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
From Latin tropus, from Ancient Greek τρόπος (trópos, “a manner, style, turn, way; a trope or figure of speech; a mode in music; a mode or mood in logic”), related to τροπή (tropḗ, “solstice; trope; turn”) and τρέπειν (trépein, “to turn”); compare turn of phrase. The verb is derived from the noun.
Across languages
Translations
93 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
троп
(trop)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Catalan:
motiu
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Catalan:
tòpic
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Chinese Mandarin:
橋段 /桥段
(qiáoduàn)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Chinese Mandarin:
套路
(tàolù)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Chinese Mandarin:
梗
(gěng)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Danish:
skabelon
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Dutch:
troop
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Finnish:
trooppi
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
French:
motif
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Galician:
tópico
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Galician:
motivo
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
German:
Prototyp
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Ancient Greek:
τρόπος
(trópos)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Japanese:
転義法
(tengihō)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Japanese:
お約束
(o-yakusoku)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Japanese:
トロープ
(torōpu)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Korean:
트로프
(teuropeu)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Macedonian:
троп
(trop)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Norwegian Bokmål:
trope
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Norwegian Nynorsk:
trope
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Polish:
topos
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Portuguese:
tópos
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Russian:
троп
(trop)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Serbo-Croatian:
тро̑п
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Serbo-Croatian:
trȏp
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Spanish:
tópico
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Spanish:
motivo
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Ukrainian:
троп
(trop)
— art, literature: something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature
Bulgarian:
метафора
(metafora)
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Catalan:
trop
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Chinese Mandarin:
比喻
(bǐyù)
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Chinese Mandarin:
譬喻
(pìyù)
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Czech:
tropus
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Dutch:
troop
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Dutch:
figuurlijke uitdrukking
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Finnish:
trooppi
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
French:
trope
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
French:
expression figurative
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Galician:
tropo
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Georgian:
ტროპი
(ṭroṗi)
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
German:
Tropus
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
German:
Trope
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Ancient Greek:
τρόπος
(trópos)
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Hungarian:
szókép
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Hungarian:
trópus
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Hungarian:
képes beszéd/kifejezés
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Italian:
tropo
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Italian:
figura retorica
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Italian:
metafora
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Italian:
metonimia
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Japanese:
転義法
(tengihō)
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Japanese:
比喩
(hiyu)
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Macedonian:
троп
(trop)
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Norwegian Bokmål:
trope
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Norwegian Nynorsk:
trope
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Persian:
مجاز
(majâz)
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Polish:
trop
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Romanian:
trop
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Russian:
троп
(trop)
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Serbo-Croatian:
тро̑п
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Serbo-Croatian:
trȏp
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Spanish:
tropo
— rhetoric: figure of speech in which words or phrases are used with a nonliteral or figurative meaning
Dutch:
troop
— music: short cadence at the end of the melody
Finnish:
trooppi
— music: short cadence at the end of the melody
Galician:
tropo
— music: short cadence at the end of the melody
Greek:
τρόπος
(trópos)
— music: short cadence at the end of the melody
Italian:
tropo
— music: short cadence at the end of the melody
Polish:
trop
— music: short cadence at the end of the melody
Serbo-Croatian:
тро̑п
— music: short cadence at the end of the melody
Serbo-Croatian:
trȏp
— music: short cadence at the end of the melody
Dutch:
troop
— music, Judaism: cantillation pattern or mark
Finnish:
trooppi
— music, Judaism: cantillation pattern or mark
Galician:
tropo
— music, Judaism: cantillation pattern or mark
Hebrew:
טעם המקרא
— music, Judaism: cantillation pattern or mark
Polish:
trop
— music, Judaism: cantillation pattern or mark
Serbo-Croatian:
тро̑п
— music, Judaism: cantillation pattern or mark
Serbo-Croatian:
trȏp
— music, Judaism: cantillation pattern or mark
Yiddish:
טראָפּ
(trop)
— music, Judaism: cantillation pattern or mark
Dutch:
troop
— music, Roman Catholicism: phrase or verse added to the Mass
Finnish:
trooppi
— music, Roman Catholicism: phrase or verse added to the Mass
Galician:
tropo
— music, Roman Catholicism: phrase or verse added to the Mass
Greek:
τρόπος
(trópos)
— music, Roman Catholicism: phrase or verse added to the Mass
Italian:
tropo
— music, Roman Catholicism: phrase or verse added to the Mass
Polish:
trop
— music, Roman Catholicism: phrase or verse added to the Mass
Serbo-Croatian:
тро̑п
— music, Roman Catholicism: phrase or verse added to the Mass
Serbo-Croatian:
trȏp
— music, Roman Catholicism: phrase or verse added to the Mass
Spanish:
tropo
— music, Roman Catholicism: phrase or verse added to the Mass
