rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: trans-
Latin

trans-

across, beyond; from one side to another

Forms

  • trans-
  • tra- — Shortened in some Latin compounds.
  • tres- — A later French development in some borrowings.

Origin

Connected with reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *terh₂-, ‘cross; pass through.’

Note

Crossing a boundary can become a metaphor for changing a condition or category.

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noun

transect

A line or strip across an area along which observations or samples are taken.

Researchers count wildflowers along a transect through the meadow.

Etymology
tranLatinacross, beyond; from one side to another
+sectLatincut

The parts mean cutting across. A survey transect lays an observational line or strip across a landscape to sample its features.

More examples

  • We collect soil samples every ten feet along the transect.
  • Three parallel transects cross the marsh.
  • The team records every tree within a narrow transect.

Forms

transect · transects

Similar words

traverse
A surveyed route across terrain, not necessarily used for sampling.