“In traditional rhetoric, ‘device for changing the basic meaning of a word are termed as tropes.’” - Tomashevsky (Quoted in Universe of Mind by Yuri Lotman) Brief explanation: The statement means: In classical and traditional rhetoric and literary theory, tropes are specific figures of speech or rhetorical devices that alter or shift the literal or basic meaning of a word or phrase. Simple breakdown: Literal meaning = the ordinary, dictionary definition of a word. Trope = a deliberate twist or turn (from Greek tropos = "turn") that makes the word mean something different from its basic sense. Common examples of tropes: Metaphor: "He is a lion." (changes "he" from a person to something brave or fierce). Metonymy: "The White House issued a statement." (uses "White House" to mean the U.S. President or administration). Synecdoche: "All hands on deck." (uses "hands" to mean whole sa...