noun / adjective
tropic
TRAH-pik/ˈtrɑːpɪk/
A latitude circle bounding Earth's tropical zone.
Each tropic marks an outer limit of Earth's tropical zone.
Etymology
The turning is the sun's apparent reversal after reaching its northernmost or southernmost position. The name passed from celestial circles marking those limits to the corresponding latitude lines on Earth.
In context
… the tropic of cancer cuts through Bangladesh absolutely in the middle makes us a subtropical climate
More examples
- The northern tropic is called the Tropic of Cancer.
- The southern tropic crosses Australia.
- Many rain forests grow in the tropics.
Forms
tropic · tropics
tropical adjective — Relating to Earth's warm equatorial region.
Similar words
- parallel
- Any latitude circle, not specifically one bounding the tropical zone.
- latitude circle
- The broader term for circles at any fixed latitude.