tract

¹

[trakt]

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.

tract

²

[trakt]

noun

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

   Synonyms: disquisition, homily, essay

tract

¹

/ 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

tract

²

/ trækt /

noun

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

tract

³

/ trækt /

noun

1. RC Church an anthem in some Masses

tract

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.

Word History and Origins

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 tract²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tract¹

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

Origin of tract²

C15: from Latin tractātus _tractate

Origin of tract³

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

Example Sentences

This produced sturdy hydrogel microspheres that travel through the digestive tract and can be removed from stool with a magnet.

Read more on Science Daily

Its Hollywood operations are crowded on a relatively small tract overlooking the 101 Freeway.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Obama administration saw the opportunity to use the rule as a federal land grab, and vastly expanded the definition of “navigable” to cover huge new tracts of land and water.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They imitate a natural hormone released in the digestive tract after eating and signal the brain to reduce hunger.

Read more on Science Daily

She soon reversed course before taking a wrong turn into a housing tract in Chatsworth around the Fourth of July last year.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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