trope

An idea, situation, or character type that appears often in stories or other art.

• The lonely hero is a common trope.
• This film plays with familiar horror tropes.
• The writer avoids the trope of love at first sight.

Similar words: motif, theme

Common phrases: common trope, familiar trope, romantic trope

An expression that uses words with an unusual meaning, such as calling someone a star.

• A metaphor is a trope.
• The poet uses several striking tropes.
• We studied how this trope changes the meaning of the phrase.

Similar words: figure of speech

Common phrases: literary trope, rhetorical trope, use a trope

A short ending added to a tune in some early music.

• The melody ends with a trope.
• The singer repeated the final trope.
• This manuscript records a short trope after the main melody.

Similar words: cadence

Common phrases: final trope, melodic trope, trope ending

Extra words or a verse added to music sung during a church service.

• The choir sang a trope.
• The trope adds words to the chant.
• Scholars found several medieval tropes in the church manuscript.

Common phrases: liturgical trope, sing a trope, medieval trope