tracts
|tract|
/trækt/
(tract)
extended area or system
Etymology
'tract' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'tractus', the past participle of 'trahere' where 'trahere' meant 'to draw' or 'to pull'.
'tract' entered English via Medieval/Old French and Medieval Latin forms (e.g. Old French/Medieval Latin 'tractus' or related spellings) and eventually became the Middle English and modern English 'tract'.
Initially it referred to 'a drawing' or 'the act of drawing/pulling' and to an 'extent' (something drawn out); over time it developed meanings such as 'area of land', 'short printed treatise/pamphlet', and anatomical 'bundle or course' (e.g. digestive tract).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a large area or expanse of land
The developers bought several tracts of land outside the city.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a short pamphlet or leaflet, often on a religious or political subject
Volunteers distributed religious tracts at the event.
Synonyms
Noun 3
a system or bundle of connected biological tissues or organs (e.g., the digestive tract or neural tract)
Doctors examined several tracts of the nervous system in the study.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/11 13:25