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Tract
Definitions
- 1 An area or expanse.
"an unexplored tract of sea"
- 2 a bundle of myelinated nerve fibers following a path through the brain wordnet
- 3 A series of connected body organs, such as the digestive tract.
- 4 a system of body parts that together serve some particular purpose wordnet
- 5 A small booklet such as a pamphlet, often for promotional or informational uses.
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 a brief treatise on a subject of interest; published in the form of a booklet wordnet
- 7 A brief treatise or discourse on a subject.
"The church clergy at that writ the best collection of tracts against popery that ever appeared."
- 8 an extended area of land wordnet
- 9 A commentator's view or perspective on a subject.
- 10 Continued or protracted duration, length, extent
"improved by tract of time"
- 11 Part of the proper of the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist for many Christian denominations, used instead of the alleluia during Lenten or pre-Lenten seasons, in a Requiem Mass, and on a few other penitential occasions.
- 12 Continuity or extension of anything. obsolete
"in tract of speech"
- 13 Traits; features; lineaments. obsolete
"The discovery of a man's self by the tracts of his countenance is a great weakness."
- 14 The footprint of a wild animal. obsolete
"The Prophet Telemus […]mark'd the Tracts of every Bird that flew"
- 15 Track; trace. obsolete
"Efface all tract of its traduction."
- 16 Treatment; exposition. obsolete
"The tract of every thing Would, by a good discourser, lose some life Which action's self was tongue to."
- 1 To pursue, follow; to track. obsolete
"Where may that treachour then (said he) be found, / Or by what meanes may I his footing tract?"
- 2 To treat, discourse, negotiate. obsolete, transitive
- 3 To draw out; to protract. obsolete
"Speak to me , muse , the man , who after Troy was sack'd , Saw many towns and men , and could their manners tract."
Etymology
From Middle English tract, tracte, traht (“a treatise, exposition, commentary”), from Old English traht, tract (“a treatise, exposition, commentary, text, passage”); and also from Middle English tract, tracte (“an expanse of space or time”); both from Latin tractus (“a haul, drawing, a drawing out”), the perfect passive participle of trahō. Doublet of trait.
From Latin tractus, the participle stem of trahere (“to pull, drag”).
From Latin tractāre, from tractō, from trahō + -tō.
See also for "tract"
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Unscramble this word: tract