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tract - 13 dictionary results

tract

1  [trakt] ,
Use tract in a Sentence
–noun
1. an expanse or area of land, water, etc.; region; stretch.
2. Anatomy.
a. a definite region or area of the body, esp. a group, series, or system of related parts or organs: the digestive tract.
b. a bundle of nerve fibers having a common origin and destination.
3. a stretch or period of time; interval; lapse.
4. Roman Catholic Church. an anthem consisting of verses of Scripture, sung after the gradual in the Mass from Septuagesima until the day before Easter and on certain other occasions, taking the place of the alleluias and the verse that ordinarily accompany the gradual.
5. Ornithology. a pteryla.
Origin:
1350–1400; (in senses referring to extent of space) < L tractus stretch (of space or time), a drawing out, equiv. to trac-, var. s. of trahere to draw + -tus suffix of v. action; (def. 4) < ML tractus, appar. identical with the above, though literal sense unexplained

Synonyms:
1. district, territory.

tract

2  [trakt] ,
–noun
a brief treatise or pamphlet for general distribution, usually on a religious or political topic.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME tracte, appar. shortening of ML tractātus tractate

Synonyms:
essay, homily, disquisition.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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tract 1   (trākt)   
n.  
    1. An expanse of land or water.
    2. A specified or limited area of land: developing a 30-acre tract.
    3. A system of organs and tissues that together perform a specialized function: the alimentary tract.
    4. A bundle of nerve fibers having a common origin, termination, and function.
  2. Anatomy
    1. A system of organs and tissues that together perform a specialized function: the alimentary tract.
    2. A bundle of nerve fibers having a common origin, termination, and function.
  3. Archaic A stretch or lapse of time.

[Middle English, period of time, from Latin tractus, course, space, period of time, from past participle of trahere, to draw.]
tract 2   (trākt)   
n.  A leaflet or pamphlet containing a declaration or appeal, especially one put out by a religious or political group.

[Middle English tracte, treatise, probably short for Latin tractātus, from past participle of tractāre, to discuss, frequentative of trahere, to draw.]
tract 3   (trākt)   
n.  The verses from Scripture sung during Lent or on Ember Days after the gradual in the Roman Catholic Mass.

[Middle English tracte, from Medieval Latin tractus, from Latin, a drawing out (from its being an uninterrupted solo); see tract1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Tract

Tract\, n. [Abbrev.fr. tractate.] A written discourse or dissertation, generally of short extent; a short treatise, especially on practical religion.

The church clergy at that time writ the best collection of tracts against popery that ever appeared. --Swift.

Tracts for the Times. See Tractarian.

Tract

Tract\, n. [L. tractus a drawing, train, track, course, tract of land, from trahere tractum, to draw. Senses 4 and 5 are perhaps due to confusion with track. See Trace,v., and cf. Tratt.]

1. Something drawn out or extended; expanse. "The deep tract of hell." --Milton.

2. A region or quantity of land or water, of indefinite extent; an area; as, an unexplored tract of sea.

A very high mountain joined to the mainland by a narrow tract of earth. --Addison.

3. Traits; features; lineaments. [Obs.]

The discovery of a man's self by the tracts of his countenance is a great weakness. --Bacon.

4. The footprint of a wild beast. [Obs.] --Dryden.

5. Track; trace. [Obs.]

Efface all tract of its traduction. --Sir T. Browne.

But flies an eagle flight, bold, and forthon, Leaving no tract behind. --Shak.

6. Treatment; exposition. [Obs.] --Shak.

7. Continuity or extension of anything; as, the tract of speech. [Obs.] --Older.

8. Continued or protracted duration; length; extent. "Improved by tract of time." --Milton.

9. (R. C. Ch.) Verses of Scripture sung at Mass, instead of the Alleluia, from Septuagesima Sunday till the Saturday befor Easter; -- so called because sung tractim, or without a break, by one voice, instead of by many as in the antiphons.

Syn: Region; district; quarter; essay; treatise; dissertation.

Tract

Tract\, v. t. To trace out; to track; also, to draw out; to protact. [Obs.] --Spenser. --B. Jonson.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : tract
Spanish: extensión,
German: ausgedehnte Fläche,
Japanese: 土地の広がり
More Translations »

tract  (1)
"area," 1494, "period or lapse of time," from L. tractus "track, course, space, duration," lit, "a drawing out or pulling," from stem of trahere "to pull, draw," from PIE base *tragh- "to draw, drag, move" (cf. Slovenian trag "trace, track," M.Ir. tragud "ebb," with variant form *dhragh-; see drag). The meaning "stretch of land or water" is first recorded 1553. Specific U.S. sense of "plot of land for development" is recorded from 1912; tract houses attested from 1963.

tract  (2)
"little book," 1432, probably a shortened form of L. tractatus "a handling, treatise, treatment," from tractare "to handle" (see treat). Not in any other language, according to OED.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: tract
Pronunciation: 'trakt
Function: noun
1 : a system of body parts or organs that act together to perform some function tract> —see GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT, LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT, UPPERRESPIRATORY TRACT
2 : a bundle of nerve fibers having a common origin, termination, and function and especially one within the spinal cord or brain called also fibertract; —see CORTICOSPINAL TRACT, OLFACTORY TRACT, OPTIC TRACT, SPINOTHALAMIC TRACT; —compare FASCICULUS b
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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tract (trākt)
n.

  1. An elongated assembly of tissue or organs having a common origin, function, and termination, or a serial arrangement having a common function.
  2. A bundle of nerve fibers having a common origin, termination, and function.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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tract   (trākt)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. A series of body organs that work together to perform a specialized function, such as digestion.
  2. A bundle of nerve fibers, especially in the central nervous system, that begin and end in the same place and share a common function.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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