tract

¹ American  

[trakt] / trækt /

noun

1. an expanse or area of land, water, etc.; region; stretch.

   Synonyms:

   territory, district

2. Anatomy.

   1. a definite region or area of the body, especially a group, series, or system of related parts or organs.

      the digestive tract.

   2. 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.

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tract ² American  

[trakt] / trækt /

noun

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

   Synonyms:

   disquisition, homily, essay

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tract ¹ British  

/ trækt /

noun

1. RC Church an anthem in some Masses

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tract ² British  

/ trækt /

noun

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

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tract ³ British  

/ 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

3. a bundle of nerve fibres having the same function, origin, and termination

   the optic tract

4. archaic an extended period of time

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tract Scientific  

/ 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.

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Etymology

Origin of tract¹

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; tract ¹ def. 4 is from Medieval Latin tractus, apparently identical with the above, though literal sense unexplained

Origin of tract¹

1400–50; late Middle English tracte, apparently shortening of Medieval Latin tractātus tractate

Example Sentences

“Boss Lincoln” is emphatically not a political-science tract; Mr. Pinsker makes his points within a gripping chronological narrative that consistently animates Lincoln’s inexhaustible quest.

From The Wall Street Journal

Delivering the vaccine through the nose produced strong immune responses throughout the body, with particularly high activity in the nasal passages and respiratory tract.

From Science Daily

The idea of a tube up my tuchus didn’t scare me, nor did the notorious prep of drinking a foul-tasting liquid to cleanse your intestinal tract.

From Los Angeles Times

Argentina's government has declared an emergency in Patagonia, where wildfires have been ripping through vast tracts of forest since December.

From Barron's

The king also oversees a trust that owns and controls vast tracts of communal land in KwaZulu-Natal, which is supposed to be for the benefit local communities.

From BBC

Related Words

• estate
• expanse
• parcel
• plot
• portion
• section