Trope

I’ve always been fascinated by this word. Film and SF critics seem to constantly refer to "tropes," but finding a definition that actually addresses that usage has eluded me.

Websters' "a word or expression used in a figurative sense," for instance, is virtually useless.

This Wordsmith.Org "definition" helps a little bit:

The word tropism is related to trope, the term for rhetorical devices such as metaphor and irony. The idea is that the words in those rhetorical devices are turned in a special way.

But I finally had to delve into Wikipedia to find a definition that really helps here:

In literature, a trope is a familiar and repeated symbol, meme, style, character or thing that permeates a particular type of literature. They are usually tied heavily to genre. For example, tropes in horror literature and film include the mad scientist or a dark and stormy night. Tropes can also be plots or events, such as the science fiction trope of an alien invasion that is deterred at the last minute.

So now I can talk about tropes, know what the hell I'm talking about AND point people to a definition in case they ask me what the hell I'm talking about.

Ahhh… my day is complete.