tropology
(trəʊˈpɒlədʒɪ)
[ad. late L. tropologia (Jerome, a 400), a. late Gr. τροπολογία (Justin Martyr, a 160), f. τρόπος trope: see -logy. Cf. F. tropologie (a 1300 in Godef. Compl.).]
1. ‘A speaking by tropes’ (Blount, 1656); the use of metaphor in speech or writing; figurative discourse.
| 1519 W. Horman Vulg. 98 b, The figuris of construction and locucion: and specially allygoris: and tropologies: & anagogies. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 88 Those, that by Allegories and Tropologies peruert and obscure the Historie of their Gods. 1678 [see tropologize]. 1873 F. Hall Mod. Eng. vi. 170 But, whether due to tropology, or to whatever other cause, multivocals, as conducing to brevity and expressiveness, are unwisely condemned, or deprecated, except where they entail ambiguity. |
2. A moral discourse; a secondary sense or interpretation of Scripture relating to morals (cf. tropological 2).
| 1583 Fulke Defence 47, I can not, following both the storie, and the tropologie or doctrine of maners, comprehend both briefly. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Tropology,..a Moral Discourse tending to the Reformation of Manners. 1896 L. Eckenstein Woman under Monast. 113 The four-square pattern of ecclesiastical usage, namely according to the letter, allegory, tropology and anagogy. |
3. A treatise on tropes or figures of speech.
| a 1667 Jer. Taylor Serm. Wks. 1831 IV. 160 Vocabularies, tropologies, and expositions of words and phrases. 1768 J. Brown (title), Sacred Tropology. |