trait

Borrowed from Middle French trait (“line, feature”), from Latin tractus (“drawing, pulling”). Doublet of tract.

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: trā, trāt, IPA^(key): /tɹeɪ/, /tɹeɪt/
• (General American) enPR: trāt, IPA^(key): /tɹeɪt/
• Rhymes: -eɪ, -eɪt
• Homophones: tray, trey (one pronunciation)

trait (plural traits)

1. (biology, psychology) an identifying characteristic, habit or trend
   • 1856, Ralph Waldo Emerson, English Traits, Truth:

     The English, of all classes, value themselves on this trait, as distinguishing them from the French, who, in the popular belief, are more polite than true.

   • 1916, John Dewey, Democracy and Education:

     The positive and constructive aspect of possibility gives the key to understanding the two chief traits of immaturity, dependence and plasticity.

   The number one personality trait I hate is hypocrisy. Why can't you be consistent!?

2. (object-oriented programming) An uninstantiable collection of methods that provides functionality to a class by using the class’s own interface.

   Traits are somewhat between an interface and a mixin, as an interface contains only method signatures, while a trait includes also the full method definitions. On the other hand, mixins include method definitions, but they can also carry state through attributes, while traits usually don't.

• See also Thesaurus:characteristic

• character trait

• interface
• mixin

• trait at OneLook Dictionary Search

• Attri, Ratti, ittar, tiatr

From Old French trait, from Latin tractus.

• IPA^(key): /tʁɛ/

• audio

  (file)

trait m (plural traits)

1. line
2. trait
3. color of a mineral
4. (dated) the action of hauling or pulling (by an animal of burden)
5. (dated) straps or cords placed on an animal of burden and attached to the vehicle which the animal pulls
6. (obsolete) an action reflecting a favorable or adverse intention by one person toward another
7. a remarkable or influential historical event
8. a particular passage in a speech that is well-written; an excellent or appealing characteristic of a speech
9. a vibrant, brilliant, or innovative idea
10. (religion) verses sung in a Mass between the gradual and the gospel reading
11. connection or link between one thing and another
12. (geology) color of the dust produced by a mineral
13. (chess, checkers) the privilege of taking the first turn/move
14. (oriented-object programming) trait

• trait d'union

• traire
• traiter
• traité

trait

1. third-person singular present indicative of traire
2. third-person singular past historic of traire
3. past participle of traire

• “trait” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

• tarit, tarît, tirât, titra, triât