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. 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 ² British  

/ trækt /

noun

1. RC Church an anthem in some Masses

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tract ³ British  

/ trækt /

noun

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

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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 tract²

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

Example Sentences

A statement describes it as a side effect of reproductive tract disease, which she had a history of before arriving at the zoo and is common in aging female elephants.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

It is a vessel which connects the brain to various organs, including the heart, lungs, and digestive tract.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

“The following year, in 1961, we moved to a four-bedroom, white tract house with green trim in Thousand Oaks,” Russell said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

We lived in a three-bedroom tract house that looked like all the others on our street.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

I once got a urinary tract infection after holding in my pee for hours because I couldn’t find a suitable bathroom.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

Related Words

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