喜樂美語
  1. 1時事的、當前熱門的；（醫學）外用的、局部塗抹的

    If something is topical, people are interested in it right now because it connects to what is happening in the news at this moment. A topical joke, a topical song, a topical drama — these are about things everyone has been reading about this week. The important part is the timing, not the importance: something can be very important and still not be topical, if nobody happens to be talking about it. And topical things go stale. A topical joke from three years ago often means nothing to you now, because the news it hung on has gone. Medicine uses the same word in a completely separate way: a topical cream or topical medicine is one you put on the skin at the spot that hurts, instead of swallowing it. That sense is very common on medicine boxes and in doctors' talk, and it comes from the same 'place' root — it works on the place, not on the whole body. There is also a drier, more academic use meaning simply 'to do with a topic' — 'a topical index' groups things by subject. If you meet the word in a review, an exam question or a newspaper, the 'in the news' meaning is almost always the one intended.

From the word’s history

From topic + -al.

topic「主題」加上 -al。

Wiktionary

組成topic + -al ('having to do with'). Topic itself goes back to Greek τόπος (tópos), 'place'.

同家族的字

  • topicthe base word — Greek τόπος, 'place'
  • topicallytopical + -ly, the adverb
  • topicalitytopical + -ity, the noun
  • utopiathe same Greek τόπος ('place'), with ou- meaning 'not'

原始詞典資料10 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

topicaladj/ˈtɒp.ɪ.kəl/

  • 1

    Relating to a particular topic or subject.

    • The book is divided into topical chapters.
  • 2

    Relating to a topic or subject of current interest.

    • Fair trade has become quite a topical issue.
  • 3

    Local to a particular place.

  • 4

    medicinesciencesApplied to a localized part of the body.

  • 5

    medicinesciencesApplied externally (to the surface of the skin or eye).

    • Terbinafine is available in 250 mg tablets and in a topical 1% ointment. There is no parenteral form available.
  • 6

    Arranged according to topic or theme; thematic.

topicalnoun/ˈtɒp.ɪ.kəl/

  • 1

    A substance, especially a medication, applied externally (to the surface of the skin or eye).

    • Small amounts of potent ingredients can, in theory, mean far less skin irritation, as one might get with a one-time high dose of retinol. And with topicals, there is a more uniform delivery of product to the skin’s surface.
    • "This is a great introductory line to first-time cannabis users because two of the items are topicals, which don't get you high," says Elisabeth, who prides herself and her growers on having a well-balanced and chemical-free strand.
  • 2

    medicinepharmacologysciencesA substance, especially a medication, applied externally (to the surface of the skin or eye).

  • 3

    A joke dealing with current events or topical subjects.

    • You can’t do a show at an audience – you have to do a show with an audience and structure the act so that you start with the “hello” gags, then the topicals, then the surreal stuff.
  • 4

    hobbieslifestylephilatelyA postage stamp depicting a particular theme or subject (such as birds or trains), potentially sought out by topical stamp collectors.

    • beautiful Pictorials, topicals, commemoratives, airmails. Introductory selection 40% discount. Ralph Rice, 15 Longlane, West Hartford 7, Conn.

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。