trophy

¹

[ troh-fee ]

noun

, plural tro·phies.

1. anything taken in war, hunting, competition, etc., especially when preserved as a memento; spoil, prize, or award.
2. anything serving as a token or evidence of victory, valor, skill, etc.:

   a sports trophy.

3. a symbol of success that is used to impress others:

   He bought the lavish home as a trophy.

4. a carving, painting, or other representation of objects associated with or symbolic of victory or achievement.
5. any memento or memorial.
6. a memorial erected by certain ancient peoples, especially the Greeks and Romans, in commemoration of a victory in war and consisting of arms or other spoils taken from the enemy and hung upon a tree, pillar, or the like.

adjective

1. noting or relating to a symbol of success that is used to impress others:

   They just want a near-perfect trophy child to brag about.

-trophy

²

1. a combining form used in the formation of nouns with the general senses “nourishment, feeding” ( mycotrophy ), “growth” ( hypertrophy ); also forming abstract nouns corresponding to adjectives ending in -trophic.

-trophy

¹

combining form

1. indicating a certain type of nourishment or growth

   dystrophy

trophy

²

/ ˈtrəʊfɪ /

noun

1. an object such as a silver or gold cup that is symbolic of victory in a contest, esp a sporting contest; prize
2. a memento of success, esp one taken in war or hunting
3. in ancient Greece and Rome
   1. a memorial to a victory, usually consisting of captured arms raised on the battlefield or in a public place
   2. a representation of such a memorial
4. an ornamental carving that represents a group of weapons, etc
5. informal.
   modifier highly desirable and regarded as a symbol of wealth or success

   a trophy wife

Derived Forms

• -trophic, combining_form:in_adjective

Other Words From

• trophy·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trophy¹

1505–15; earlier trophe < French trophée < Latin trop ( h ) aeum < Greek trópaion, noun use of neuter of trópaios, Attic variant of tropaîos of turning or putting to flight, equivalent to trop ( ḗ ) a turning (akin to trépein to turn) + -aios adj. suffix. See trope

Origin of trophy²

< Greek -trophia nutrition, equivalent to troph ( ḗ ) food + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of trophy¹

from Greek -trophia , from trophē nourishment

Origin of trophy²

C16: from French trophée , from Latin tropaeum , from Greek tropaion , from tropē a turning, defeat of the enemy; related to Greek trepein to turn

Example Sentences

The 53-year-old Spaniard joined City in 2016 and has won 18 trophies so far, including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League.

From BBC

Also: That cast will carry it a long way — certainly to a trophy for international feature.

From Los Angeles Times

He won 25 trophies as Celtic boss, and also the Scottish Cup with Dunfermline.

From BBC

At the start of the 12-nation finals in Malaga, Britain were the second-lowest ranked team and given little chance by many people on the outside of finally landing the trophy.

From BBC

The 51-year-old has been tasked with ending England's long wait for a major trophy - and outgoing interim boss Carsley believes the squad can succeed at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

From BBC

Related Words

• citation
• crown
• cup
• decoration
• gold
• keepsake
• medal
• memento
• prize
• souvenir