trait

[ treyt; British also trey ]
See synonyms for: traittraits on Thesaurus.com

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

  2. a pen or pencil stroke.

  1. a stroke, touch, or strain, as of some quality: a trait of pathos; a trait of ready wit.

Origin of trait

1
First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French: literally, “something drawn,” from Latin tractus; see tract1

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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British Dictionary definitions for trait

trait

/ (treɪt, treɪ) /


noun
  1. a characteristic feature or quality distinguishing a particular person or thing

  2. rare a touch or stroke

Origin of trait

1
C16: from French, from Old French: a pulling, from Latin tractus, from trahere to drag

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for trait

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.

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