tract

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtrakt 

1

a

: a system of body parts or organs that act together to perform some function

the digestive tract

b

: a bundle of nerve fibers having a common origin, termination, and function

2

: an area either large or small: such as

a

: an indefinite stretch of land

b

: a defined area of land

3

: extent or lapse of time

tract

2 of 3

noun (2)

: a pamphlet or leaflet of political or religious propaganda

also : a piece of writing that is suggestive of such a tract

tract

3 of 3

noun (3)

often capitalized

: verses of Scripture (as from the Psalms) used between the gradual and the Gospel at some masses (as during penitential seasons)

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• belt
• corridor
• land
• neck
• part(s)
• region
• zone

Examples of tract in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The places with the most disproportionate arrest rates were all in the city: a jagged stretch of Brownsville, a boxy tract anchored by a major public hospital in East Flatbush and a triangular expanse of East Harlem surrounding the Robert F. Wagner Houses. —Ashley Southall, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2023

In 2017, Clouse got access to a new 50-acre tract in Clark County near some cornfields and a small pond. —Outdoor Life, 22 Nov. 2023

The temporary enclave will be situated east of the famed Okavango Delta, in the heart of a 124,000-acre tract known as the Mababe Concession, which has considerable populations of lion, elephant, and buffalo, plus a huge variety of birds. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023

In the densely populated South L.A. census tract that includes Watts, just 7% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with about 35% statewide. —Brennon Dixson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023

Hornaday was one of the earliest Americans to recognize that headlong settlement of the West was inevitably inconsistent with the existence of bison, and their requirement of large tracts of unfenced wild land. —Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 26 Oct. 2023

Prostate infections or prostatitis, one of the most common urinary tract issues in adults, are notorious for recurrence as antibiotics often can’t penetrate tissue deep enough to kill all the bacteria. —Popular Science, 12 Oct. 2023

Its main purpose is to act as a temporary storage and processing unit for food on its way through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. —Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2023

The tract made a splash online, and not for its shiny view of the future. —Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English tracte, from Latin tractus action of drawing, extension, from trahere to pull, draw

Noun (2)

Middle English, treatise, from Medieval Latin tractus, perhaps alteration of Latin tractatus tractate

Noun (3)

Middle English tracte, from Medieval Latin tractus, from Latin, action of drawing, extension; perhaps from its being sung without a break by one voice

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun (2)

1760, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tract

• digestive tract
• gastrointestinal tract
• lower respiratory tract
• tract house
• pyramidal tract
• respiratory tract
• upper respiratory tract
• alimentary tract

• digestive tract
• gastrointestinal tract
• lower respiratory tract
• tract house
• pyramidal tract
• respiratory tract
• upper respiratory tract
• alimentary tract

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Kids Definition

tract

1 of 2 noun

ˈtrakt 

1

a

: an indefinite stretch of land

a large tract of forest

b

: a defined area of land

a garden tract

2

: a system of body parts or organs that act together to perform some function

the digestive tract

tract

2 of 2 noun

: a pamphlet of political or religious ideas and beliefs

Medical Definition

tract

noun

ˈtrakt 

1

: a system of body parts or organs that act together to perform some function see also digestive tract, gastrointestinal tract, lower respiratory tract, upper respiratory tract

2

: a bundle of nerve fibers having a common origin, termination, and function and especially one within the spinal cord or brain

called also fiber tract

see also corticospinal tract, olfactory tract, optic tract, spinothalamic tract