topos

noun

to·​pos ˈtō-ˌpäs How to pronounce topos (audio) ˈtä- How to pronounce topos (audio)
plural topoi ˈtō-ˌpȯi How to pronounce topos (audio)
ˈtä-
: a traditional or conventional literary or rhetorical theme or topic

Word History

Etymology

Greek, short for koinos topos, literally, common place

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of topos was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near topos

toponymy

topos

topotaxis

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Topos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topos. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on topos

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about topos

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...