trait

[ treyt; British also trey ]

noun

1. a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one's personal nature:

   bad traits of character.

   Synonyms: property, attribute, mark, peculiarity

2. a pen or pencil stroke.
3. a stroke, touch, or strain, as of some quality:

   a trait of pathos; a trait of ready wit.

trait

/ treɪ; treɪt /

noun

1. a characteristic feature or quality distinguishing a particular person or thing
2. rare.
   a touch or stroke

trait

/ trāt /

1. A genetically determined characteristic or condition. Traits may be physical, such as hair color or leaf shape, or they may be behavioral, such as nesting in birds and burrowing in rodents. Traits typically result from the combined action of several genes, though some traits are expressed by a single gene.

Word History and Origins

Origin of trait¹

First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French: literally, “something drawn,” from Latin tractus; tract ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of trait¹

C16: from French, from Old French: a pulling, from Latin tractus , from trahere to drag

Example Sentences

It’s a trait you see in her performance as Sister Agnes, who composes herself with a quiet power.

From Los Angeles Times

Something that has always served him well in work he now knows to be another trait of autism - intense interests, also known as hyperfixations..

From BBC

It was this tendency to become overly engaged in topics that he first identified as a possible autistic trait in himself.

From BBC

While being a handyman might be a desirable trait, it is not compulsory.

From BBC

The backing of Pope is a familiar trait of Stokes and McCullum's tenure, with a number of batters, notably opener Zak Crawley, retained despite a run of low scores.

From BBC

Related Words

• attribute
• character
• feature
• habit
• idiosyncrasy
• manner
• oddity
• peculiarity
• quality
• quirk
• trick
• virtue