tract

• Nom désignant notamment un étendu de terrain ou une région; un système d'organes ou de voies remplissant une fonction dans le corps; un court ouvrage écrit sur un sujet, souvent politique ou religieux; ou un faisceau de fibres nerveuses dans le cerveau.

A noun with multiple meanings: an extended area of land; a system of body parts serving a particular purpose; a brief published treatise on a subject; or a bundle of myelinated nerve fibers in the brain.

1. B2formal

   A large, extended area of land, often of a specific type or used for a particular purpose.

   étendue de terre

   • The developer bought a vast tract of land outside the city.
   • Large tracts of forest were destroyed by the fire.
   • They own a farming tract in the valley.

   Synonymesareabeltexpanseparcelplotregionstretchswathterritoryzone

2. Body systemB2formalmedical

   A system of organs and tissues in the body that work together to perform a specific function.

   Appareil (système organique)

   • The digestive tract processes food from the mouth to the anus.
   • An infection in the respiratory tract can cause coughing.
   • The urinary tract helps remove waste from the body.

   Synonymescanalpassagepassagewaysystemtube

3. Short written workC1formal

   A short, printed piece of writing, often on a religious, political, or moral subject, distributed as a pamphlet.

   Tract (court écrit)

   • He handed out a religious tract on the street corner.
   • The political tract argued for social reform.
   • She wrote a philosophical tract about the nature of happiness.

   Synonymesbrochurecircularflyerleafletpamphlet

4. Nerve pathwayC2formalmedical

   A bundle of nerve fibers in the brain or spinal cord that follows a specific path and carries signals.

   Faisceau (de fibres nerveuses)

   • The corticospinal tract controls voluntary movement.
   • Damage to the optic tract can cause vision problems.
   • The nerve tract connects different regions of the brain.

   Synonymesfasciculusnerve tractpathway