Tropical
/ˈtrɒpɪkəl/noun
Relating to the region near the equator, or to warm, humid climates.
Did you know?In classical astronomy, the “tropics” were the celestial turning points of the Sun, so this word began in the stars before it ever meant palm trees and heat.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
τροπικός (tropikós)
“of or relating to a turning point”
Late Greek
Greek
τροπικός κύκλος (tropikós kyklos)
“the turning circle of the Sun, i.e. the tropic”
Late Latin
Latin
tropicus
“of the tropics; pertaining to the solstitial circles”
Middle French
French
tropical
“pertaining to the tropics”
16th Century
English
tropical
“relating to the tropics or the torrid zone”
Modern English
English
tropical
“relating to the region near the equator or to its climate”