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

Sian Jones, 72, has suffered from recurrent "debilitating" urinary tract infections for more than 50 years, and has lost two premature babies as a result.

From BBC

The rationale is straightforward: More people can be housed more safely and sustainably in cities than in mountainous, fire-prone tracts with little public infrastructure.

From Los Angeles Times

NDM-CRE can cause such ailments as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections and wound infections.

From Los Angeles Times

Each county looks as it does in part because the vast Spanish land grants gave Orange County something L.A. had let slip away: immense tracts to build on.

From Los Angeles Times

Proponents of the plan argued that these states were already majority white and contained large tracts of undeveloped land, making the territory ideal for white-only settlement.

From Salon

Related Words

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