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

Done wrong — or rather, clunkily — and the viewer can be removed from the story in a second flat, all too aware that they’re being spoon-fed a collection of character traits meant to tell, not show.

From Salon

The genes were biologically "toxic" to humans, researchers hypothesized, and eventually purged out -- in essence, the children who inherited those traits might not have lived to pass them on.

From Barron's

Maggie is probably referring to phrenology, the pseudoscience where head shape is thought to determine personality traits.

From Literature

On the daily chart, several constructive traits are emerging for S&P Global.

From Barron's

That’s because the hook of the hamate is a significant contributor to grip strength—an important trait for anybody attempting to hit a ball as far as possible.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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