tropic
tropic — noun
- tropicsingular
- tropicsplural
1. A circle of latitude drawn on maps at roughly 23.5° from the equator. There are
A circle of latitude drawn on maps at roughly 23.5° from the equator. There are two: the Cancer line in the Northern Hemisphere and the Capricorn line in the Southern Hemisphere, each called a tropic. Together they show the farthest points north and south where the sun can appear directly overhead.
The Tropic of Cancer runs through Mexico, northern Africa, and parts of southern China.
Tropic of Cancer + geographical locations
Sade learned that the Tropic of Capricorn passes through Australia, Chile, and Namibia.
Ancient Greek astronomers calculated the position of the Tropic of Cancer using shadow measurements.
Stephanie's atlas showed both tropic lines as dotted red marks near the equator.
A ship crossing the Tropic of Cancer enters what sailors call the tropical belt.
- parallel
general term for any line of latitude; less specific than 'tropic'
- equator
the line at 0 degrees latitude; the tropics are at 23.5 degrees
文法句型
the Tropic of Cancer/Capricorn
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used with 'of Cancer' or 'of Capricorn' and takes a definite article: the Tropic of Cancer / the Tropic of Capricorn.
常見錯誤
2. The broad band of land and sea that encircles the Earth around the equator, boun
The broad band of land and sea that encircles the Earth around the equator, bounded by the two tropic lines. This region has the hottest global climate, with high humidity and heavy rainfall in many areas, and supports dense forests and unique wildlife.
Elena dreamed of visiting the tropics to see coral reefs and white sandy beaches.
the tropics + travel / destination
Mangoes, pineapples, and bananas grow well in the warm climate of the tropics.
The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical forest in the tropics.
Hamza spent two years working in the tropics and loved the year-round warm weather.
Some diseases spread more easily in the tropics than in cooler places.
- torrid zone
historical/formal term for the same region; less common today
- temperate zone
the mild-climate regions north and south of the tropics
- polar region
the cold areas near the North and South Poles
文法句型
the tropics
用法筆記
Almost always used in plural form 'the tropics' with a definite article, though 'the tropic' appears occasionally in literary or historical writing.
常見錯誤
tropic — adjective
- tropicpositive
- more tropiccomparative
- most tropicsuperlative
1. Found in, belonging to, or typical of the region between the two tropics. Descri
Found in, belonging to, or typical of the region between the two tropics. Describes weather, plants, animals, or places that are associated with hot, humid conditions near the equator.
The hotel had a lovely tropic garden with palm trees and large red flowers.
tropic + garden / noun collocation
Faisal's doctor warned him to avoid the strong tropic sun at midday.
A thick tropic heat hung over the small coastal village all year round.
The zoo built a glass house for animals that need a tropical climate.
Anong found that tropic soils lose their nutrients quickly when the forest is cut down.
- tropical
the standard modern form; far more common in all contexts
文法句型
tropic + noun
用法筆記
The adjective 'tropical' (B1) is far more common in everyday English. 'Tropic' as an adjective is mostly found in formal, literary, or scientific writing.