tract en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /tɹækt/
- (US) audio
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.
Meanings
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An area or expanse.
the deep tract of hell
1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:a very high mountain joined to the mainland by a narrow tract of earth
1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:an unexplored tract of sea
small tracks of ground
a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, →OCLC:Another place where, from the aesthetic point of view, a long tunnel would have been a real blessing, is East London as viewed from the carriage window on the old Great Eastern line. Despite a vast change from crowded slums to tracts of wasteland, due to its grim wartime experience, this approach still provides a shabby and unworthy introduction to the great capital.
1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 703:
- A series of connected body organs, such as the digestive tract.
- A small booklet such as a pamphlet, often for promotional or informational uses.
-
A brief treatise or discourse on a subject.
The church clergy at that writ the best collection of tracts against popery that ever appeared.
1731, Jonathan Swift, The Presbyterians Plea of Merit:
- A commentator's view or perspective on a subject.
-
Continued or protracted duration, length, extent
improved by tract of time
1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:Nay, in another case of litigation, the unjust Standard bearer, for his own profit, asserting that the cause belonged not to St. Edmund’s Court, but to his in Lailand Hundred, involved us in travellings and innumerable expenses, vexing the servants of St. Edmund for a long tract of time […]
1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “ch. XIV, Henry of Essex”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk):
- 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.
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(obsolete) Continuity or extension of anything.
in tract of speech
1669, William Holder, Elements of Speech:
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(obsolete) Traits; features; lineaments.
The discovery of a man's self by the tracts of his countenance is a great weakness.
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Simulation and Dissimulation”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
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(obsolete) The footprint of a wild animal.
The Prophet Telemus […]mark'd the Tracts of every Bird that flew
1717, John Dryden [et al.], “Book 13”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
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(obsolete) Track; trace.
But flies an eagle flight, bold, and forth on, / Leaving no tract behind.
c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):Efface all tract of its traduction.
1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:
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(obsolete) Treatment; exposition.
The tract of every thing Would, by a good discourser, lose some life Which action's self was tongue to.
1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tracts | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
GI tract · digestive tract · respiratory tract · tractotomy · biliary tract · tract home · Tractarian · tract house · iliotibial tract · census tract · tract society · gastrointestinal tract · Tractite · von Monakow's tract · urinary tract · tractography · tractlet · tract mansion · lower respiratory tract · pyramidal tract · tract housing · Trans-Karakoram Tract · vocal tract · upper respiratory tract · urinary tract infection · spinoreticular tract
Relateds
extract · traction · treat · subtract · tractive · distract · tractable · protract · tractor · attract · abstract · trait · detract · retract · contract · tractate · tractile
Synonyms
system (series of connected body organs)
Translations (64)
bg тракт (series of connected body organs) · fa دستگاه (series of connected body organs) · ota ارض (area) · az trakt (series of connected body organs) · fi ala (area) · gl extensión (area) · ca tracte (series of connected body organs) · fr appareil (series of connected body organs) · nl stelsel (series of connected body organs) · es tratado (brief treatise) · ota تراب (area) · nb traktat (brief treatise) · nb trakt (area) · mi mātārere (small booklet) · it apparato (series of connected body organs) · bg участък (area) · ru тракт (series of connected body organs) · es extensión (area) · de Gebiet (area) · pt tratado (brief treatise) · ca fullet (small booklet) · cs ústrojí (series of connected body organs) · fi traktaatti (brief treatise) · mk провод (series of connected body organs) · mk расправа (brief treatise) · pt aparelho (series of connected body organs) · fi juoste (series of connected body organs) · es folleto (small booklet) · ar جِهَاز (series of connected body organs) · fi kirjoitus (brief treatise) · bg брошура (small booklet) · fi kirjanen (small booklet) · kmr cog (series of connected body organs) · fi essee (brief treatise) · hu traktus (series of connected body organs) · nl kanaal (series of connected body organs) · ga dréacht (small booklet) · pt panfleto (small booklet) · sv traktat (brief treatise) · es aparato (series of connected body organs) · fi tie (as in virtsatie) (series of connected body organs) · de Traktat (brief treatise) · ru брошю́ра (small booklet) · la plaga (area) · pl rozprawka (brief treatise) · bg тракта́т (brief treatise) · es tracto (series of connected body organs) · fi alue (area) · bg коментар (commentator's view or perspective on a subject) · ru тракта́т (brief treatise) · ota طوپراق (area) · sv trakt (area) · la tractus (area) · ga dréacht (brief treatise) · pt extensão (area) · fi näkökulma (commentator's view or perspective on a subject) · de Trakt (series of connected body organs) · ca tractat (brief treatise) · eo traktaĵo (brief treatise) · ca extensió (area) · nl gebied (area) · ota ایل (area) · ru уча́сток (area) · ota ناحیه (area)