tropo-, trop-, -tropal, -trope(s), -tropic, -tropism, -tropia, -tropous, -tropy, trep-

The tendency of parts of plants to turn upward when developing: The property of apogeotropy pertains to the growth of most vegetation in which the stems, trunks, and the leaves all grow towards the sky, and therefore away from the soil of the earth.

Apogeotropy is the opposite of geotropism.

In Greek mythology, one of the three Fates who influenced human destiny. Atropos was known as the Inexorable, and carried the shears that cut the thread of life.

In botany and biology, a reference to the tendency to grow in a straight line, regardless of external factors or influences.

In botany, the tendency of a plant to grow in a straight line when it is unaffected by external factors or stimuli.

The atmospheric phenomena or science that deals with the study of the atmosphere and its density; especially, with weather forecasting.

A movement resulting from a pressure stimuli: A barotropism is usually a reaction of living tissue to changes in pressures by a physician or by another medical therapist .

1. The tendency of an organism or part of an organism to bend toward or away from a chemical stimulus.
2. An orientation response to a chemical stimulus.

Relating to something that is capable of being planned, invented, or devised: During the discussion in class, Mrs. Hathaway mentioned that no contrivable tool or mechanism could meet the total quality of the human hand and fingers.

1. A cleverly made device or machine or contraption to fulfill a special need: Jim’s dad created a contrivance to heat the inside of the sleeping bag while camping during the cold night by using a hot rock that had been put in the campfire and then taken out and wrapped up with newspapers.
2. Something or an idea created in a clever way to accomplish an objective: The manager of the store thought up a contrivance to encourage customers to buy the store's tea products, like serving hot tea to the customers on cold winter days.
3. Etymology: from Middle English contreven, from Old French controver, contreuv-, from Medieval Latin contropare, "to compare"; from Latin con-, "together, with" + Latin tropus, "turn, manner, style"; from Greek tropos, "turn, manner, mode, style". © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. To succeed in doing or inventing something; especially, something difficult: Joan contrived a vegan dinner for her friend without using a recipe and, believe it or not, it turned out to be quite good!
2. To invent or to produce an activity in a clever or unusual way: For the theater performance in school, the students contrived a background of the presentation by using some sheets and drawing on them in order to present the illusion of a forest.

The building contractor contrived a house small enough for Ted's budget, but big enough for four people to live in comfortably.
3. To cleverly devise something; such as, a mechanism to achieve an objective; especially, by improvising or inventing, composing, or performing with little or no preparation: Janet looked in the shed to see if she could find some ropes and wood to contrive a swing for the children when they were in the backyard.
4. To plan carefully so as to seem unnatural, artificial, or forced: The plot of the novel was so contrived that it didn’t seem to be realistic at all, but quite unfeasible and difficult to understand.
5. To make a deceitful plan that is intended to avoid being noticed by others: Stuart contrived a method to cheat while taking a test at school so his teacher wouldn’t notice by writing down some answers on the palm of his hand!
6. Etymology: from Old French controver and Modern French controuver, "to find out, to contrive, to imagine"; from Late Latin contropare, "to compare", from Latin com-, "with" + tropus, "song, musical mode"; from Greek tropos, "turn, direction, turn or figure of speech" related to trope, "a turning" and trepein, "to turn".

© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

1. Someone who plans, devises, or invents with ingenuity: As a contriver, Mark developed a clever plan to get his new job and even with higher pay.
2. Anyone who brings about or effects a plan, a scheme, or something similar, to achieve an objective: The congressman was known as a contriver who devised an unusual technique to gain more votes.

A reference to turning to the right; used especially of certain shells, of spiral cleavage patterns, or even of the movement of vehicle traffic set up by signs.

In botany, relating to, or exhibiting a growth movement in a plant or in an organ so that it assumes a position at right angles to the direction of gravity: Rose bushes are considered to be diageotropic in that their roots develop and spread crossways to the direction of the middle of the Earth.

The tendency of a sessile organism (a leaf or flower, that has no stalk but is attached directly to the stem) or structure to grow horizontally to the ground or perpendicularly to the line of gravity: The condition of diageotropism can be seen in tree branches or roots.

Diageotropism can be described as a response of a plant to gravity in which a part of the plant adopts a horizontal position.

Diageotropism can also characterize the tendency of growing parts, such as roots, to become oriented at right angles to the direction of any gravitational force.