tract

UK: trækt | US: trækt

Definition

  1. n. a defined area of land

  2. n. a system of connected organs or tissues (e.g., digestive tract)

  3. n. a short written work or pamphlet

Structure
tract <pull, draw (from Latin *tractus*)>
Etymology

The word "tract" originates from the Latin tractus, meaning "to pull" or "to draw." This root reflects the idea of extending or stretching, which evolved into meanings like a stretch of land ("tract of land") or a connected system (e.g., "respiratory tract"). The sense of a written work ("pamphlet") derives from the notion of "drawing out" ideas in prose.

Examples

  1. The farmer owned a vast tract of fertile land.

  2. The digestive tract processes food from ingestion to excretion.

  3. She distributed a religious tract to passersby.

  4. The developer purchased a tract for a new housing project.

  5. Inflammation in the respiratory tract can cause breathing difficulties.