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OxfordL labels this meaning as archaic:

ARCHAIC
of or involving a trope; figurative.

So with this meaning, tropical is related to trope which means:

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.

• Both clothes and illness became tropes for new attitudes toward the self. (OxfordL)

Here is the example used by M-W with this meaning:

an author given to high-flown tropical phrasings and convoluted symbology

Etymonline explains under tropic:

late 14c., "either of the two circles in the celestial sphere which describe the northernmost and southernmost points of the ecliptic," from Late Latin tropicus "of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "one of the tropics"), from Latin tropicus "pertaining to a turn," from Greek tropikos "of or pertaining to a turn or change; of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "the solstice," short for tropikos kyklos), from trope "a turning" (from PIE root *trep- "to turn").

The notion is of the point at which the sun "turns back" after reaching its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky. Extended 1520s to the corresponding latitudes on the earth's surface (23 degrees 28 minutes north and south); meaning "region between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn" is from 1837.

It also says that in tropical is an extension of tropic.

As you can see, the idea of turn gave rise to two different meanings.

At this link from Ngram you will find past uses of tropical with the meaning of "metaphorical, figurative".

OxfordL labels this meaning as archaic:

ARCHAIC
of or involving a trope; figurative.

So with this meaning, tropical is related to trope which means:

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.

• Both clothes and illness became tropes for new attitudes toward the self. (OxfordL)

Etymonline explains under tropic:

late 14c., "either of the two circles in the celestial sphere which describe the northernmost and southernmost points of the ecliptic," from Late Latin tropicus "of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "one of the tropics"), from Latin tropicus "pertaining to a turn," from Greek tropikos "of or pertaining to a turn or change; of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "the solstice," short for tropikos kyklos), from trope "a turning" (from PIE root *trep- "to turn").

The notion is of the point at which the sun "turns back" after reaching its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky. Extended 1520s to the corresponding latitudes on the earth's surface (23 degrees 28 minutes north and south); meaning "region between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn" is from 1837.

It also says that in tropical is an extension of tropic.

As you can see, the idea of turn gave rise to two different meanings.

At this link from Ngram you will find past uses of tropical with the meaning of "metaphorical, figurative".

OxfordL labels this meaning as archaic:

ARCHAIC
of or involving a trope; figurative.

So with this meaning, tropical is related to trope which means:

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.

• Both clothes and illness became tropes for new attitudes toward the self. (OxfordL)

Here is the example used by M-W with this meaning:

an author given to high-flown tropical phrasings and convoluted symbology

Etymonline explains under tropic:

late 14c., "either of the two circles in the celestial sphere which describe the northernmost and southernmost points of the ecliptic," from Late Latin tropicus "of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "one of the tropics"), from Latin tropicus "pertaining to a turn," from Greek tropikos "of or pertaining to a turn or change; of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "the solstice," short for tropikos kyklos), from trope "a turning" (from PIE root *trep- "to turn").

The notion is of the point at which the sun "turns back" after reaching its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky. Extended 1520s to the corresponding latitudes on the earth's surface (23 degrees 28 minutes north and south); meaning "region between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn" is from 1837.

It also says that in tropical is an extension of tropic.

As you can see, the idea of turn gave rise to two different meanings.

OxfordL labels this meaning as archaic:

ARCHAIC
of or involving a trope; figurative.

So with this meaning, tropical is related to trope which means:

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.

• Both clothes and illness became tropes for new attitudes toward the self. (OxfordL)

Here is the example used by M-W with this meaning:

an author given to high-flown tropical phrasings and convoluted symbology

Etymonline explains under tropic:

late 14c., "either of the two circles in the celestial sphere which describe the northernmost and southernmost points of the ecliptic," from Late Latin tropicus "of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "one of the tropics"), from Latin tropicus "pertaining to a turn," from Greek tropikos "of or pertaining to a turn or change; of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "the solstice," short for tropikos kyklos), from trope "a turning" (from PIE root *trep- "to turn").

The notion is of the point at which the sun "turns back" after reaching its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky. Extended 1520s to the corresponding latitudes on the earth's surface (23 degrees 28 minutes north and south); meaning "region between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn" is from 1837.

It also says that in tropical is an extension of tropic.

As you can see, the idea of turn gave rise to two different meanings.

At this link from Ngram you will find past uses of tropical with the meaning of "metaphorical, figurative".

OxfordL labels this meaning as archaic:

ARCHAIC
of or involving a trope; figurative.

So with this meaning, tropical is related to trope which means:

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.

• Both clothes and illness became tropes for new attitudes toward the self. (OxfordL)

OxfordL labels this meaning as archaic:

ARCHAIC
of or involving a trope; figurative.

So with this meaning, tropical is related to trope which means:

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.

• Both clothes and illness became tropes for new attitudes toward the self. (OxfordL)

Here is the example used by M-W with this meaning:

an author given to high-flown tropical phrasings and convoluted symbology

Etymonline explains under tropic:

late 14c., "either of the two circles in the celestial sphere which describe the northernmost and southernmost points of the ecliptic," from Late Latin tropicus "of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "one of the tropics"), from Latin tropicus "pertaining to a turn," from Greek tropikos "of or pertaining to a turn or change; of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "the solstice," short for tropikos kyklos), from trope "a turning" (from PIE root *trep- "to turn").

The notion is of the point at which the sun "turns back" after reaching its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky. Extended 1520s to the corresponding latitudes on the earth's surface (23 degrees 28 minutes north and south); meaning "region between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn" is from 1837.

It also says that in tropical is an extension of tropic.

As you can see, the idea of turn gave rise to two different meanings.