trait

American  

[treyt, trey] / treɪt, treɪ /

noun

1. a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one's personal nature.

   bad traits of character.

   Synonyms:

   property, attribute, mark, peculiarity

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.

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trait British  

/ treɪ, treɪt /

noun

1. a characteristic feature or quality distinguishing a particular person or thing

2. rare a touch or stroke

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trait Scientific  

/ trāt /

1. A genetically determined characteristic or condition. Traits may be physical, such as hair color or leaf shape, or they may be behavioral, such as nesting in birds and burrowing in rodents. Traits typically result from the combined action of several genes, though some traits are expressed by a single gene.

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Etymology

Origin of trait

First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French: literally, “something drawn,” from Latin tractus; tract ¹

Example Sentences

As the play proceeds we observe that Mira’s emotional reticence may be an inherited trait.

From The Wall Street Journal

These traits make you a good candidate for June Lake, the eastern Sierra town that lives most of its life in the shadow of bigger, busier Mammoth Lakes.

From Los Angeles Times

“She did, yes. The report back was encouraging. I see you as a resilient young man. And that’s a trait that will serve you well in this situation and in the rest of your life.”

From Literature

The updated work added new details about its physical traits, biology, geographic distribution, and host organisms, including spiders.

From Science Daily

The spacing between particles becomes irregular, similar to a liquid, while the angles between them remain partially ordered, a trait usually associated with solids.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• attribute
• character
• feature
• habit
• idiosyncrasy
• manner
• oddity
• peculiarity
• quality
• quirk
• trick
• virtue