1
: either of the two parallels of terrestrial latitude at a distance of about 23¹/₂ degrees north or south of the equator where the sun is directly overhead when it reaches its most northerly or southerly point in the sky compare tropic of cancer, tropic of capricorn
2
: of, relating to, or occurring in the tropics
tro·pic
ˈtrō-pik 
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of tropism or of a tropism
2
of a hormone
: influencing the activity of a specified gland
1
: turning, changing, or tending to turn or change in a (specified) manner or in response to a (specified) stimulus
geotropic
2
: attracted to or acting upon (something specified)
neurotropic
Examples of tropic in a Sentence
Noun
a vacation in the tropics
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 4 Mar. 2025
Comb jellies have adapted to ocean habitats from the surface to the deep sea and from the cold poles to the warm tropics.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 20 Oct. 2024
The system has proven itself in use under a wide range of climatic and topographical conditions, from tropics to arctic.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2024
Another new study, published in Science on Dec. 5, investigates declining low-cloud cover in the northern mid-latitudes and tropics that could be causing increased warming rates.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
Courtesy of Luke Auld-Thomas et al/Cambridge University Press Archaeologists increasingly recognize that the world's tropics and subtropics hosted a wide variety of urban forms in antiquity.
—Anna Lagos, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024
Richardson has since created a network of cameras across the U.S., from Alaska to Arizona, Hawaii to Maine, tundra to tropics.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 23 Oct. 2024
But that is a much more arduous task in the dense tropics.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
This is likely the beginning of a period of frenetic activity characteristic of August, September, and the first half of October in the Atlantic tropics.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 4 Aug. 2024
Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
In the grueling six-month course, the former high school track star trained in remote forest, desert, coastal, tropic and open ocean environments — and mastered first aid and hand-to-hand combat.
—Dawn Klavon, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Savor a massage in the gorgeous tropic gardens at the spa or choose to enjoy them indoors.
—Robin Raven, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas on Monday as a Category 1 before weakening into a tropic storm.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
After a total of nine hours under the waves, two men with chattering teeth were able to emerge from their frigid craft into bright sunshine, blue skies and tropic heat.
—William J. Broad, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023
For long hours Monday, gray clouds seemed to presage rain, and the damp air seemed to enhance the sultry sense of tropic life.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 4 July 2023
The engine that powers every tropic cyclone is convection: enormous volumes of moist, rising air create a vacuum at the surface that sucks in surrounding air as spiraling winds.
—Martin J. Kernan, Scientific American, 1 June 2023
Here the lemon and orange grow to perfection and almost all of the fruits and vegetables of the temperate and semi-tropic climes flourish, while experiments made by some of our growers show that the banana, pineapple and other tropical fruits will do well.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2023
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Noun
According to a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters, this extreme snowfall event can be explained by atmospheric rivers — narrow bands in the atmosphere that carry moisture and heat outside of Earth’s tropics.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 4 Mar. 2025
Comb jellies have adapted to ocean habitats from the surface to the deep sea and from the cold poles to the warm tropics.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 20 Oct. 2024
The system has proven itself in use under a wide range of climatic and topographical conditions, from tropics to arctic.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 27 Dec. 2024
Another new study, published in Science on Dec. 5, investigates declining low-cloud cover in the northern mid-latitudes and tropics that could be causing increased warming rates.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
Courtesy of Luke Auld-Thomas et al/Cambridge University Press Archaeologists increasingly recognize that the world's tropics and subtropics hosted a wide variety of urban forms in antiquity.
—Anna Lagos, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024
Richardson has since created a network of cameras across the U.S., from Alaska to Arizona, Hawaii to Maine, tundra to tropics.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 23 Oct. 2024
But that is a much more arduous task in the dense tropics.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
This is likely the beginning of a period of frenetic activity characteristic of August, September, and the first half of October in the Atlantic tropics.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 4 Aug. 2024
Adjective
Tree Hut tropic glow sugar scrub: on sale for $8.04 (30% off)
Original price: $11.49
(Ulta)
Use this sugar scrub from Tree Hut to remove dull, dry skin to reveal glowing, soft, smooth skin.
—Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
In the grueling six-month course, the former high school track star trained in remote forest, desert, coastal, tropic and open ocean environments — and mastered first aid and hand-to-hand combat.
—Dawn Klavon, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Savor a massage in the gorgeous tropic gardens at the spa or choose to enjoy them indoors.
—Robin Raven, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas on Monday as a Category 1 before weakening into a tropic storm.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 9 July 2024
After a total of nine hours under the waves, two men with chattering teeth were able to emerge from their frigid craft into bright sunshine, blue skies and tropic heat.
—William J. Broad, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023
For long hours Monday, gray clouds seemed to presage rain, and the damp air seemed to enhance the sultry sense of tropic life.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 4 July 2023
The engine that powers every tropic cyclone is convection: enormous volumes of moist, rising air create a vacuum at the surface that sucks in surrounding air as spiraling winds.
—Martin J. Kernan, Scientific American, 1 June 2023
Here the lemon and orange grow to perfection and almost all of the fruits and vegetables of the temperate and semi-tropic climes flourish, while experiments made by some of our growers show that the banana, pineapple and other tropical fruits will do well.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Tropic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tropic. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tropic
1 of 3 noun
trop·ic
ˈträp-ik
1
: either of the two parallels of the earth's latitude that are approximately 23½ degrees north of the equator and approximately 23½ degrees south of the equator
2
plural often capitalized
: the region lying between the two tropics
tropic
2 of 3 adjective
: tropical
tropic
3 of 3 adjective
tro·pic
ˈtrō-pik
: of, relating to, or being a tropism
a tropic movement of a plant
Etymology
Noun
Middle English tropik (noun) "either of the points at which the sun appears furthest from the equator," from Latin tropicus (adjective) "of a solstice or equinox," from Greek tropikos (same meaning), from tropē "turn"; so called because a tropic marks the turning point in the sun's apparent path up the sky
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