tractpamphlet or leaflet; an extended area of land: a housing tractNot to be confused with:tracked ? followed the traces of; made tracks upon: The children tracked mud into the house.Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embreetract 1 (tr?kt)n.1. a. An expanse of land or water.b. A specified or limited area of land: developing a 30-acre tract.2. Anatomy a. A system of organs and tissues that together perform a specialized function: the alimentary tract.b. A bundle of nerve fibers having a common origin, termination, and function.3. Archaic A stretch or lapse of time.[Middle English, period of time, from Latin tractus, course, space, period of time, from past participle of trahere, to draw.]tract 2 (tr?kt)n. A leaflet or pamphlet containing a declaration or appeal, especially one put out by a religious or political group.[Middle English tracte, treatise, probably short for Latin tract?tus, from past participle of tract?re, to discuss, frequentative of trahere, to draw.]tract 3 (tr?kt)n. The verses from Scripture sung after the gradual in the Roman Catholic Mass during penitential seasons such as Lent or as part of a Requiem.[Middle English tracte, from Medieval Latin tractus, from Latin, a drawing out (from its being an uninterrupted solo); see tract1.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.tract (trækt) n1. an extended area, as of land2. (Anatomy) anatomy a system of organs, glands, or other tissues that has a particular function: the digestive tract. 3. (Anatomy) a bundle of nerve fibres having the same function, origin, and termination: the optic tract. 4. archaic an extended period of time[C15: from Latin tractus a stretching out, from trahere to drag]tract (trækt) n (Journalism & Publishing) a treatise or pamphlet, esp a religious or moralistic one[C15: from Latin tract?tus tractate]tract (trækt) n (Roman Catholic Church) RC Church an anthem in some Masses[C14: from Medieval Latin tractus cantus extended song; see tract1]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014tract1 (trækt) n. 1. an expanse or area of land, water, etc.; region; stretch. 2. a. a definite region or area of the body, esp. a system of elongated parts or organs: the digestive tract. b. a bundle of nerve fibers having a common origin and destination. 3. a stretch or period of time; interval; lapse. 4. a Roman Catholic penitential anthem consisting of scriptural verses, sung after the gradual, esp. before Easter. [1350?1400;