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trait

 - 6 dictionary results

trait

  [treyt; Brit. also trey] ,
Use trait in a Sentence
–noun
1. a distinguishing characteristic or quality, esp. of one's personal nature: bad traits of character.
2. a pen or pencil stroke.
3. a stroke, touch, or strain, as of some quality: a trait of pathos; a trait of ready wit.
Origin:
1470–80; < MF: lit., something drawn < L tractus. See tract 1

Synonyms:
1. peculiarity, mark, attribute, property.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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trait   (trāt)   
n.  

  1. A distinguishing feature, as of a person's character. See Synonyms at quality.

  2. A genetically determined characteristic or condition: a recessive trait.

    1. A stroke with or as if with a pencil.

    2. A slight degree or amount, as of a quality; a touch or trace: a sermon with a trait of humor.


[Middle English, shot, from Old French, something drawn, shot, from Latin tractus, a drawing out, line; 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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Word Origin & History

trait 
c.1477, "shot, missiles," later "a stroke, short line" (1589), from M.Fr. trait, from L. tractus "draft, drawing, drawing out," later "line drawn, feature," from pp. stem of trahere "to pull, draw" (see tract (1)). Sense of "particular feature, distinguishing quality" is first recorded 1752, from meaning "line, streak, feature" (1561), which is common to Eng., Fr. and L.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: trait
Pronunciation: 'trAt, Brit usu 'trA
Function: noun
: an inherited characteristic
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

trait (trāt)
n.
A characteristic, especially one that distinguishes an individual from others.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

trait

in biology, any observable feature, or trait, of an organism, whether acquired or inherited. An acquired character is a response to the environment; an inherited character is produced by genes transmitted from parent to offspring (their expressions are often modified by environmental conditions). One gene may affect many characters; one character may be controlled by many genes. A character controlled by only a few genes is known as an oligogenic, discontinuous, or qualitative character; a character controlled by many genes is termed polygenic, continuous, or quantitative. A genetically controlled character may be termed dominant when its controlling genes are powerful enough to mask the effect of other genes (alleles) that control an alternative character, termed recessive

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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