Top"i*a*ry (?), a. [L. topiarius belonging to ornamental gardening, fr.
topia (sc. opera) ornamental gardening, fr. Gr. &?; a place.] Of or
pertaining to ornamental gardening; produced by cutting, trimming,
etc.; topiarian.
Topiary work, arbors, shrubbery, hedges, or the like, cut and trimmed
into fanciful forms, as of animals, buildings, etc.
Top"ic (?), n. [F. topiques, pl., L. topica the title of a work of
Aristotle, Gr. topika`, fr. topiko`s of or for place, concerning
to`poi, or commonplaces, fr. to`pos a place.] (a) One of the various
general forms of argument employed in probable as distinguished from
demonstrative reasoning, — denominated by Aristotle to`poi (literally,
places), as being the places or sources from which arguments may be
derived, or to which they may be referred; also, a prepared form of
argument, applicable to a great variety of cases, with a supply of
which the ancient rhetoricians and orators provided themselves; a
commonplace of argument or oratory. (b) pl. A treatise on forms of
argument; a system or scheme of forms or commonplaces of argument or
oratory; as, the Topics of Aristotle.
These topics, or loci, were no other than general ideas applicable to a
great many different subjects, which the orator was directed to
consult.
Blair.
In this question by [reason] I do not mean a distinct topic, but a
transcendent that runs through all topics.
Jer. Taylor.