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

"After duplication, the majority of genes are still in pairs; however, they show different expression patterns, and many have functionally diverged to regulate different traits," Ma said.

From Science Daily

The research helps explain how many cultural traits have been preserved for thousands of years among hunter-gatherer groups across a wide range of natural environments in Africa.

From Science Daily

Currently, pedigrees are how horse owners and breeders find out which stallions are in a horse's ancestry, which gives information on the traits a horse may have inherited.

From Science Daily

Each card represents different genetic traits that help the species survive various challenges -- disease resistance, temperature tolerance, or the ability to find food.

From Science Daily

"This is an incredible trait for a virus to acquire during evolution to control the movement of its key protein," says Zhu.

From Science Daily

Related Words

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