a. [ Cf. L. tropicus of turning, Gr. &unr_;. See Tropic, n. ] 1. Of or pertaining to the tropics; characteristic of, or incident to, the tropics; being within the tropics; as, tropical climate; tropical latitudes; tropical heat; tropical diseases. [ 1913 Webster ]
2. [ From Trope. ] Rhetorically changed from its exact original sense; being of the nature of a trope; figurative; metaphorical. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]
The foundation of all parables is some analogy or similitude between the tropical or allusive part of the parable and the thing intended by it. South. [ 1913 Webster ]
Tropic month. See Lunar month, under Month. --
Tropic year, the solar year; the period occupied by the sun in passing from one tropic or one equinox to the same again, having a mean length of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46.0 seconds, which is 20 minutes, 23.3 seconds shorter than the sidereal year, on account of the precession of the equinoxes. [ 1913 Webster ]