tract

1
[ trakt ]
See synonyms for tract on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an expanse or area of land, water, etc.; region; stretch.

  2. Anatomy.

    • a definite region or area of the body, especially a group, series, or system of related parts or organs: the digestive tract.

    • a bundle of nerve fibers having a common origin and destination.

  1. a stretch or period of time; interval; lapse.

  2. 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.

  3. Ornithology. a pteryla.

Origin of tract

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; (in senses referring to extent of space) from Latin tractus “stretch (of space or time), a drawing out,” equivalent to trac-, variant stem of trahere “to draw” + -tus suffix of verbal action; def. 4 is from Medieval Latin tractus, apparently identical with the above, though literal sense unexplained

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Words that may be confused with tract

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Other definitions for tract (2 of 2)

tract2
[ trakt ]

noun
  1. a brief treatise or pamphlet for general distribution, usually on a religious or political topic.

Origin of tract

2
1400–50; late Middle English tracte, apparently shortening of Medieval Latin tractātustractate

Other words for tract

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tract in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tract (1 of 3)

tract1

/ (trækt) /


noun
  1. an extended area, as of land

  2. anatomy a system of organs, glands, or other tissues that has a particular function: the digestive tract

  1. a bundle of nerve fibres having the same function, origin, and termination: the optic tract

  2. archaic an extended period of time

Origin of tract

1
C15: from Latin tractus a stretching out, from trahere to drag

British Dictionary definitions for tract (2 of 3)

tract2

/ (trækt) /


noun
  1. a treatise or pamphlet, esp a religious or moralistic one

Origin of tract

2
C15: from Latin tractātus tractate

British Dictionary definitions for tract (3 of 3)

tract3

/ (trækt) /


noun
  1. RC Church an anthem in some Masses

Origin of tract

3
C14: from Medieval Latin tractus cantus extended song; see tract 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for tract

tract

[ trăkt ]


  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 © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.