Latin · root
trahere
draw, pull, drag
Forms
- trah-
- tract- — Latin stem of the form meaning ‘drawn’ or ‘pulled.’
- -trait — Developed through French in some borrowings.
Origin
Traditionally connected with reconstructed Indo-European *tragh-, ‘draw; pull’; the deeper connection is disputed.
Note
Pulling together and pulling apart supplied metaphors for agreements and abstractions.
Words sharing this root
abstractRepresenting ideas apart from concrete, recognizable objects.abstracta brief account of something's main ideasabstracttake something away from where it isabstractionA representation that sets aside concrete detail to focus on form or essential features.abstractionA state of being lost in thought and unaware of one's surroundings.attractTo draw something closer.attractionA pull drawing things toward one another.attractiveDrawing something toward itself.contractA legally binding agreement or the act of making one.contractTo become or make smaller, tighter, or shorter.contractTo catch or acquire a disease.contractionA shortening or reduction in extent.contractionThe act of acquiring a disease.contractorA party bound by an agreement to perform specified work.contractorA muscle that draws body parts together.detractTo make something seem less valuable, effective, or good.distractDraw attention away from something.distractionA state of extreme agitation or distress.distractionLoss of focus or something that causes it.extractTo draw something out of a larger source.extractionThe process of removing or obtaining something from a source.extractionA person's family or ethnic origin.portraitOriented with height greater than width.portraitAn artistic or detailed representation of a person or thing.portrayTo represent someone or something in art, words, or performance.protractionThe act of making something last longer.protractorAn instrument for measuring and drawing angles.retractTo draw something back.retractionThe act of drawing something back.retreatWithdrawal from an occupied position or ordinary activity.subtractTo take an amount or part away from a total or whole.subtractionThe mathematical operation of taking one quantity away from another.traceTo follow or discover the course, origin, or outline of something.tractAn extended continuous region.tractionGrip enabling movement against a surface.tractorA powered vehicle designed to pull a load.trainA connected succession of vehicles following a route.traitA distinguishing quality or feature.