Relief maps, informally

• Venetian fishing boats
• Basic concept of drunkard about to secure work
• Traditional literary theme or motif
• Literary convention

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"literary theme," 1948, from Greek topos , literally "place."

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
Topos may refer to: Topos (plural topoi) – a type of category in mathematics Classifying topos –a topos that categorifies the models of a structure in another topos Effective topos –a topos that captures the idea of effectivity in mathematics Étale topos ...

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. 1 A literary theme or motif; a rhetorical convention or formula. 2 (context mathematics English) A certain mathematical structure found in category theory.

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. a traditional theme or motif or literary convention; "James Joyce uses the topos of the Wandering Jew in his Ulysses" [also: topoi (pl)]