Search the Dictionary

, especially on practical religion. The church clergy at that writ the best collection of tracts against popery that ever appeared. Swift. Tracts for the Times. See Tractarian.

The quality or state of being tractable or docile; docility; tractableness.

Capable of being easily led, taught, or managed; docile; manageable; governable; as, tractable children; a tractable learner. I shall find them tractable enough. Shak.

One of the writers of the Oxford tracts, called "Tracts for the Times," issued during the period 1833-1841, in which series of papers the sacramental system and authority of the Church, and the value of tradition, were brought into prominence. Also, a member of the High Church party, holding generally the principles of…

The principles of the Tractarians, or of those persons accepting the teachings of the "Tracts for the Times."

A treatise; a tract; an essay. Agreeing in substance with Augustin's, from whose fourteenth Tractate on St. John the words are translated. Hare.

Treatment or handling of a subject; discussion. [Obs.] A full tractation of the points controverted. Bp. Hall.

One who writes tracts; specif., a Tractarian. [R.] C. Kingsley.

Capable of being drawn out in length; ductile. Bacon.

The quality of being tractile; ductility. Derham.

The act of drawing, or the state of being drawn; as, the traction of a muscle.

A locomotive driving wheel which acts by friction adhesion to a smooth track.

Of or relating to traction.

A Tractarian.

Treating of; handling. [R.]

Serving to draw; pulling; attracting; as, tractive power.

That which draws, or is used for drawing.

f an aëroplane instead of behind them, so that it exerts a pull instead of a push. Hence, Tractor monoplane, Tractor biplane, etc.

See Perkinism.

A tractrix.