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-trophy

suff.

Nutrition; growth: hypertrophy.

[Greek -trophiā, from trophē, from trephein, to nourish.]

tro·phy

(trōfē)

n. pl. tro·phies

a. A prize or memento, such as a cup or plaque, received as a symbol of victory, especially in sports.

b. A specimen or part, such as a lion's head, preserved as a token of a successful hunt.

c. A memento, as of one's personal achievements.

d. The spoils of war, dedicated in classical antiquity with an inscription to a deity and set up as a temporary monument on or near a battlefield, placed in an existing temple, or housed in a permanent, new structure.

a. An ornamental depiction of a group of weapons or pieces of armor.

b. A similar depiction of a group of other items, such as musical instruments or agricultural implements.

adj.

Impressive or ostentatious so as to display one's wealth or status: a trophy home.

[French trophée, from Old French trophee, from Latin trophaeum, monument to victory, variant of tropaeum, from Greek tropaion, from neuter of tropaios, of defeat, from tropē, a turning, rout; see trep- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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