tract

• POS: Noun
• COUNT in NET: 1 in 1 verses (in OT : 1 in 1 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

tract, n. [Abbrev.fr. tractate.].

 A written discourse or dissertation, generally of short extent; a short treatise, especially on practical religion.  [1913 Webster]
"The church clergy at that time writ the best collection of tracts against popery that ever appeared."  [1913 Webster]

Tracts for the Times. See Tractarian.

tract, n. [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.].

•  Something drawn out or extended; expanse.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  A region or quantity of land or water, of indefinite extent; an area; as, an unexplored tract of sea.  [1913 Webster]

  "A very high mountain joined to the mainland by a narrow tract of earth."  [1913 Webster]
•  Traits; features; lineaments.  [1913 Webster]

  "The discovery of a man's self by the tracts of his countenance is a great weakness."  [1913 Webster]
•  The footprint of a wild beast.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]
•  Track; trace.  [1913 Webster]

  "Efface all tract of its traduction."  [1913 Webster]

  "But flies an eagle flight, bold, and forthon,
  Leaving no tract behind."  [1913 Webster]
•  Treatment; exposition.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  Continuity or extension of anything; as, the tract of speech.  Older.  [1913 Webster]
•  Continued or protracted duration; length; extent.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Region; district; quarter; essay; treatise; dissertation.

tract, v. t. 

 To trace out; to track; also, to draw out; to protact.  Spenser. B. Jonson.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tract, n.
1 a region or area of indefinite, esp. large, extent (pathless desert tracts).
2 Anat. an area of an organ or system (respiratory tract).
3 Brit. archaic a period of time etc.

tract, n. a short treatise in pamphlet form esp. on a religious subject.

tract, n. RC Ch. & Mus. an anthem replacing the alleluia in some masses.

Etymology

med.L tractus (cantus) drawn-out (song), past part. of L trahere draw

THESAURUS

tract

acreage, amplitude, area, article, assembly-line housing, belt, billeting, block, booklet, breadth, brochure, causerie, chapbook, circular, clearing, clos, close, comic book, continuum, corn field, critique, croft, cultivated land, descant, dimension, discourse, discussion, disquisition, dissertation, district, domiciliation, doss, emptiness, empty space, enclave, essay, etude, examination, excursus, expanse, expansion, exposition, extension, extent, feature, field, first approach, folder, footstep, forty, galactic space, hayfield, homily, hospitality, housing, housing bill, housing development, housing problem, infinite space, interstellar space, introductory study, kraal, leaflet, living quarters, lodging, lodgment, lot, lower-income housing, lucubration, measure, memoir, monograph, morceau, note, nothingness, outer space, outline, paddy, pale, pamphlet, pandect, paper, paragraph, parcel, parcel of land, part, patch, piece, piece of land, plat, plot, plot of ground, portion, preliminary study, prolegomenon, proportion, quad, quadrangle, quarter, quartering, real estate, region, research paper, rice paddy, screed, section, sector, sermon, sketch, slum clearance, space, spatial extension, special article, sphere, spoor, spread, square, step, stretch, study, subdivision, superficial extension, surface, survey, term paper, territory, theme, thesis, track, tractate, transient lodging, treatise, treatment, urban renewal, vestige, void, volume, wheat field, zone

ROGET THESAURUS

tract

Book

N booklet, writing, work, volume, tome, opuscule, tract, tractate, livret, brochure, libretto, handbook, codex, manual, pamphlet, enchiridion, circular, publication, chap book, part, issue, number livraison, album, portfolio, periodical, serial, magazine, ephemeris, annual, journal, paper, bill, sheet, broadsheet, leaf, leaflet, fly leaf, page, quire, ream, chapter, section, head, article, paragraph, passage, clause, endpapers, frontispiece, cover, binding, folio, quarto, octavo, duodecimo, sextodecimo, octodecimo, encyclopedia, encompilation, library, bibliotheca, press, definitive work, treatise, comprehensive treatise (dissertation), writer, author, litterateur, essayist, journalism, pen, scribbler, the scribbling race, literary hack, Grub-street writer, writer for the press, gentleman of the press, representative of the press, adjective jerker, diaskeaust, ghost, hack writer, ink slinger, publicist, reporter, penny a liner, editor, subeditor, playwright, poet, bookseller, publisher, bibliopole, bibliopolist, librarian, bookstore, bookshop, bookseller's shop, knowledge of books, bibliography, book learning, among the giant fossils of my past, craignez tout d'un auteur en courroux, for authors nobler palms remain, I lived to write and wrote to live, look in thy heart and write, there is no Past so long as Books shall live, the public mind is the creation of the Master-Writ, volumes that I prize above my dukedom.

Dissertation

N dissertation, treatise, essay, thesis, theme, monograph, tract, tractate, tractation, discourse, memoir, disquisition, lecture, sermon, homily, pandect, excursus, commentary, review, critique, criticism, article, leader, leading article, editorial, running commentary, investigation, study, discussion, exposition, commentator, critic, essayist, pamphleteer, discursive, discoursive, disquisitionary, expository.

Government

N government, legal authority, soveriegn, sovereign authority, authority, master, direction, national government, nation, state, country, nation- state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic, kingdom, principality, state government, state, shire, province, county, canton, territory, duchy, archduchy, archdukedom, woiwodshaft, commonwealth, region, property, county, parish city, domain, tract, arrondissement, mofussil, commune, wappentake, hundred, riding, lathe, garth, soke, tithing, ward, precinct, bailiwick, command, empire, sway, rule, dominion, domination, sovereignty, supremacy, suzerainty, lordship, headship, chiefdom, seigniory, seigniority, rule, sway, command, control, administer, govern, lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne, occupy the throne, sway the scepter, wield the scepter, wear the crown, state, realm, body politic, posse comitatus, judicature, cabinet, seat of government, seat of authority, headquarters, accession, installation, politics, reign, regime, dynasty, directorship, dictatorship, protectorate, protectorship, caliphate, pashalic, electorate, presidency, presidentship, administration, proconsul, consulship, prefecture, seneschalship, magistrature, magistracy, monarchy, kinghood, kingship, royalty, regality, aristarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, demagogy, commonwealth, dominion, heteronomy, republic, republicanism, socialism, collectivism, mob law, mobocracy, ochlocracy, vox populi, imperium in imperio, bureaucracy, beadledom, bumbledom, stratocracy, military power, military government, junta, feodality, feudal system, feudalism, thearchy, theocracy, dinarchy, duarchy, triarchy, heterarchy, duumvirate, triumvirate, autocracy, autonomy, limited monarchy, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, home rule, representative government, monocracy, pantisocracy, gynarchy, gynocracy, gynaeocracy, petticoat government, legislature, judiciary, administration, office of the president, office of the prime minister, cabinet, senate, house of representatives, parliament, council, courts, supreme court, state, interior, labor, health and human services, defense, education, agriculture, justice, commerce, treasury, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Postal Service, Post Office, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, president, vice president, cabinet member, prime minister, minister, senator, representatative, president pro tem, speaker of the house, department head, section head, section chief, federal judge, justice, justice of the supreme court, chief justice, treasurer, secretary of the treasury, director of the FBI, governor, state cabinet member, state senator, assemblyman, assemblywoman, regal, sovereign, governing, royal, royalist, monarchical, kingly, imperial, imperiatorial, princely, feudal, aristocratic, autocratic, oligarchic, republican, dynastic, ruling, regnant, gubernatorial, imperious, authoritative, executive, administrative, clothed with authority, official, departmental, ex officio, imperative, peremptory, overruling, absolute, hegemonic, hegemonical, authorized, government, public, national, federal, his majesty's, her majesty's, state, county, city, N, a dog's obeyed in office, cada uno tiene su alguazil, le Roi le veut, regibus esse manus en nescio longas, regnant populi, the demigod Authority, the right divine of kings to govern wrong, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

News

N news, information, piece of news, budget of news, budget of information, intelligence, tidings, word, advice, aviso, message, dispatch, despatch, telegram, cable, marconigram, wire, communication, errand, embassy, report, rumor, hearsay, on dit, flying rumor, news stirring, cry, buzz, bruit, fame, talk, oui dire, scandal, eavesdropping, town tattle, table talk, tittle tattle, canard, topic of the day, idea afloat, bulletin, fresh news, stirring news, glad tidings, flash, news just in, on-the-spot coverage, live coverage, old story, old news, stale news, stale story, chestnut, narrator, newsmonger, scandalmonger, talebearer, telltale, gossip, tattler, journalism, media, news media, the press, the information industry, newspaper, magazine, tract, journal, gazette, publication, radio, television, ticker (electronic information transmission), United Press International, UPI, Associated Press, AP, The Dow Jones News Service, DJ, The New York Times News Service, NYT, Reuters, TASS, The Nikkei, newscaster, newsman, newswoman, reporter, journalist, correspondent, foreign correspondent, special correspondent, war correspondent, news team, news department, anchorman, anchorwoman, sportscaster, weatherman, press secretary, public relations department, public relations man, many-tongued, rumored, publicly rumored, currently rumored, currently reported, rife, current, floating, afloat, going about, in circulation, in every one's mouth, all over the town, in progress, live, on the spot, in person, as the story goes, as the story runs, as they say, it is said, by telegraph, by wireless, airy tongues that syllable men's names, what's up?, what's the latest?, what's new?, what's the latest poop?.