trop·ics or Trop·ics (tr?p??ks)pl.n. The regions of the earth between the latitudes 23°27? north and 23°27? south: Hurricanes form in the tropics. Also called Torrid Zone.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.