tract Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an extended area of land
    piece of land; piece of ground; parcel of land; parcel.
  2. noun a system of body parts that together serve some particular purpose
  3. noun a brief treatise on a subject of interest; published in the form of a booklet
    pamphlet.
  4. noun a bundle of myelinated nerve fibers following a path through the brain
    nerve tract; pathway; nerve pathway.

WordNet

Tract noun
Etymology
Abbrev.fr. tractate.
Definitions
  1. A written discourse or dissertation, generally of short extent; a short treatise, especially on practical religion.
    The church clergy at that writ the best collection of tracts against popery that ever appeared. Swift.
Tract noun
Etymology
L. tractus a drawing, train, track, course, tract of land, from trahere tractum, to draw. Senses 4 and 5 are perhaps due to confusion with track. See Trace,v., and cf. Tratt.
Definitions
  1. Something drawn out or extended; expanse. "The deep tract of hell." Milton.
  2. A region or quantity of land or water, of indefinite extent; an area; as, an unexplored tract of sea.
    A very high mountain joined to the mainland by a narrowtract of earth. Addison.
  3. Traits; features; lineaments. Obs.
    The discovery of a man's self by the tracts of his countenance is a great weakness. Bacon.
  4. The footprint of a wild beast. Obs. Dryden.
  5. Track; trace. Obs.
    Efface all tract of its traduction. Sir T. Browne.
    But flies an eagle flight, bold, and forthon, Leaving no tract behind. Shak.
  6. Treatment; exposition. Obs. Shak.
  7. Continuity or extension of anything; as, the tract of speech. Obs. Older.
  8. Continued or protracted duration; length; extent. "Improved by tract of time." Milton.
  9. (R. C. Ch.) Verses of Scripture sung at Mass, instead of the Alleluia, from Septuagesima Sunday till the Saturday befor Easter;-so called because sung tractim,or without a break, by one voice, instead of by many as in the antiphons. Syn. -- Region; district; quarter; essay; treatise; dissertation.
Tract transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To trace out; to track; also, to draw out; to protact. Obs. Spenser. B. Jonson.

Webster 1913