Adjacent Words

Trophy definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TRO'PHY, n. [L. tropoeum.]
1. Among the ancients, a pile of arms taken from a vanquished enemy, raised on the field of battle by the conquerors; also, the representation of such a pile in marble, on medals and the like; or according to others, trophies were trees planted in conspicuous places of the conquered provinces, and hung with the spoils of the enemy, in memory of the victory. Hence,
2. Any thing taken and preserved as a memorial of victory, as arms, flags, standards and the like, taken from an enemy.
Around the posts hung helmets, darts and spears,
And captive chariots, axes, shields and bars,
And broken beaks of ships, the trophies of their wars.
3. In architecture, an ornament representing the stem of a tree, charged or encompassed with arms and military weapons, offensive and defensive.
4. Something that is evidence of victory; memorial of conquest.
Present every hearer to Christ as a trophy of grace.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an award for success in war or hunting
2: something given as a token of victory [syn: trophy, prize]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural trophies) Etymology: Middle French trophee, from Medieval Latin tropheum, from Latin tropaeum, trophaeum, from Greek tropaion, from neuter of tropaios of a turning, of a rout, from trop? turn, rout, from trepein to turn Date: 15th century 1. something gained or given in victory or conquest especially when preserved or mounted as a memorial 2. a. a memorial of an ancient Greek or Roman victory raised on the field of battle or on the nearest land for a naval victory b. a representation of such a memorial (as on a medal); also an architectural ornament representing a group of military weapons 3. a game animal or fish suitable for mounting as a trophy — usually used attributively 4. one that is prized for qualities that enhance prestige or social status — usually used attributively <a trophy wife> <a trophy house> • trophy transitive verb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 a cup or other decorative object awarded as a prize or memento of victory or success in a contest etc. 2 a memento or souvenir, e.g. a deer's antlers, taken in hunting. 3 Gk & Rom. Antiq. the weapons etc. of a defeated army set up as a memorial of victory. 4 an ornamental group of symbolic or typical objects arranged for display. Derivatives: trophied adj. (also in comb.). Etymology: F trophée f. L trophaeum f. Gk tropaion f. trope rout f. trepo turn

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Trophy Tro"phy, n.; pl. Trophies. [F. troph['e]e (cf. It. & Sp. trofeo), L. tropaeum, trophaeum, Gr. ?, strictly, a monument of the enemy's defeat, fr.? a turn, especially, a turning about of the enemy, a putting to flight or routing him, fr. ? to turn. See Trope.] 1. (Gr. & Rom. Antiq.) A sign or memorial of a victory raised on the field of battle, or, in case of a naval victory, on the nearest land. Sometimes trophies were erected in the chief city of the conquered people. Note: A trophy consisted originally of some of the armor, weapons, etc., of the defeated enemy fixed to the trunk of a tree or to a post erected on an elevated site, with an inscription, and a dedication to a divinity. The Romans often erected their trophies in the Capitol. 2. The representation of such a memorial, as on a medal; esp. (Arch.), an ornament representing a group of arms and military weapons, offensive and defensive. 3. Anything taken from an enemy and preserved as a memorial of victory, as arms, flags, standards, etc. Around the posts hung helmets, darts, and spears, And captive chariots, axes, shields, and bars, And broken beaks of ships, the trophies of their wars. --Dryden. 4. Any evidence or memorial of victory or conquest; as, every redeemed soul is a trophy of grace.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(trophies) 1. A trophy is a prize, for example a silver cup, that is given to the winner of a competition or race. N-COUNT 2. Trophy is used in the names of some competitions and races in which the winner receives a trophy. He finished third in the Tote Gold Trophy. N-IN-NAMES 3. A trophy is something that you keep in order to show that you have done something very difficult. His office was lined with animal heads, trophies of his hunting hobby. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Memorial of conquest, evidence of victory.

Moby Thesaurus

Old Mug, ambition, arch, award, barrow, bays, boast, booty, boundary stone, brass, bust, cairn, catch, cenotaph, chaplet, citation, civic crown, column, commemoration, cromlech, cross, crown, cup, cyclolith, dearest wish, desideration, desideratum, desire, diamond, dolmen, favor, find, footstone, forbidden fruit, garland, gem, glimmering goal, godsend, gold, golden vision, good thing, grave, gravestone, headstone, hoarstone, honors, hope, inscription, jewel, keepsake, laurel, laurels, lodestone, loving cup, magnet, marker, mausoleum, medal, megalith, memento, memento mori, memorabilia, memorial, memorial arch, memorial column, memorial statue, memorial stone, memorials, memories, menhir, monolith, monument, mound, necrology, obelisk, obituary, palm, palms, pearl, pillar, plaque, plum, pot, pride, pride and joy, prize, pyramid, record, relic, reliquary, remembrance, remembrancer, reminder, reward, ribbon, rostral column, shaft, shrine, silver, silverware, souvenir, spoils, stela, stone, stupa, tablet, temptation, testimonial, token, token of remembrance, tomb, tombstone, tope, treasure, trouvaille, windfall, winner, wish, wreath