topic

views updated May 11 2018

topic † adj. pert. to or of the nature of a COMMONPLACE; sb. (pl.) name of Aristotle's treatise Tà topiká (lit. matters concerning commonplaces) XVI; †consideration, argument, head XVII; subject of a discourse, theme XVIII. — Gr. topikós f. tópos place; see -IC.
So topical local; †pert. to general maxims XVI; pert. to subjects or current affairs XIX

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

topic

views updated May 18 2018

top·ic / ˈtäpik/ • n. a matter dealt with in a text, discourse, or conversation; a subject: her favorite topic of conversation is her partner. ∎ Linguistics that part of a sentence about which something is said, typically the first major constituent.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

TOPIC

views updated May 11 2018

TOPIC (ˈtɒpɪk) Stock exchange Teletext Output Price Information Computer

The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH