I. trop·ic ˈträ-pik noun
Etymology: Middle English tropik, from Latin tropicus of the solstice, from Greek tropikos, from tropē turn
Date: 1527
1. : either of the two parallels of terrestrial latitude at a distance of about 23 1/2 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. plural , often capitalized : the region lying between the tropics
II. tropic adjective
Date: 1551
: of, relating to, or occurring in the tropics
III. tro·pic ˈtrō-pik adjective
Etymology: trop-
Date: 1903
1. : of, relating to, or characteristic of tropism or of a tropism
2. of a hormone : influencing the activity of a specified gland