trait

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trait

(trāt)

1. A distinguishing feature, as of a person's character. See Synonyms at quality.

2. A morphological, physiological, or behavioral feature of an organism.

3. Archaic A short line or mark made with a writing or drawing implement.

[French, pull, stroke, line, feature, from Old French, from Latin tractus, a drawing out, line; see tract¹.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

trait

(treɪt; treɪ)

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

2. rare a touch or stroke

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

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

trait

(treɪt; Brit. also treɪ)

n.

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

2. an inherited feature or characteristic: a recessive trait.

3. a pencil stroke.

4. a touch or trace.

[1470–80; < Middle French: literally, something drawn < Latin tractus. See tract¹]

trait

(trāt)

A characteristic or condition that is determined by one's genes. The color of an animal's coat and the shape of a plant's leaves are physical traits. Nesting in birds and burrowing in rodents are examples of behavioral traits.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

trait

- A stroke of a pen or pencil.

See also related terms for pen.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

trait - a distinguishing feature of your personal nature

attribute - an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity

personality - the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual; "their different reactions reflected their very different personalities"; "it is his nature to help others"

character, fibre, fiber - the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions; "education has for its object the formation of character"- Herbert Spencer

nature - the complex of emotional and intellectual attributes that determine a person's characteristic actions and reactions; "it is his nature to help others"

compulsiveness, compulsivity - the trait of acting compulsively

emotionalism, emotionality - emotional nature or quality

emotionlessness, unemotionality - absence of emotion

activeness, activity - the trait of being active; moving or acting rapidly and energetically; "the level of activity declines with age"

inertia, inactiveness, inactivity - a disposition to remain inactive or inert; "he had to overcome his inertia and get back to work"

serious-mindedness, earnestness, seriousness, sincerity - the trait of being serious; "a lack of solemnity is not necessarily a lack of seriousness"- Robert Rice

frivolity, frivolousness - the trait of being frivolous; not serious or sensible

communicativeness - the trait of being communicative

uncommunicativeness - the trait of being uncommunicative

thoughtfulness - the trait of thinking carefully before acting

unthoughtfulness, thoughtlessness - the trait of not thinking carefully before acting

attentiveness - the trait of being observant and paying attention

inattentiveness - the trait of not being considerate and thoughtful of others

masculinity - the trait of behaving in ways considered typical for men

femininity, muliebrity - the trait of behaving in ways considered typical for women

trustiness, trustworthiness - the trait of deserving trust and confidence

untrustiness, untrustworthiness - the trait of not deserving trust or confidence

individualism, individuality, individuation - the quality of being individual; "so absorbed by the movement that she lost all sense of individuality"

stinginess - a lack of generosity; a general unwillingness to part with money

egocentrism, self-centeredness, self-concern, self-interest, egoism - concern for your own interests and welfare

drive - the trait of being highly motivated; "his drive and energy exhausted his co-workers"

firmness of purpose, resoluteness, resolve, firmness, resolution - the trait of being resolute; "his resoluteness carried him through the battle"; "it was his unshakeable resolution to finish the work"

irresoluteness, irresolution - the trait of being irresolute; lacking firmness of purpose

discipline - the trait of being well behaved; "he insisted on discipline among the troops"

indiscipline, undiscipline - the trait of lacking discipline

pride - the trait of being spurred on by a dislike of falling below your standards

conceitedness, vanity, conceit - the trait of being unduly vain and conceited; false pride

humility, humbleness - a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride; "not everyone regards humility as a virtue"

wisdom, wiseness - the trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight

folly, foolishness, unwiseness - the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

sound judgement, sound judgment, perspicacity, judgement, judgment - the capacity to assess situations or circumstances shrewdly and to draw sound conclusions

trustfulness, trustingness, trust - the trait of believing in the honesty and reliability of others; "the experience destroyed his trust and personal dignity"

distrustfulness, mistrust, distrust - the trait of not trusting others

cleanliness - diligence in keeping clean

uncleanliness - lack of cleanly habits

demeanor, demeanour, deportment, behaviour, conduct, behavior - (behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people

trait

noun characteristic, feature, quality, attribute, quirk, peculiarity, mannerism, idiosyncrasy, lineament Creativity is a human trait.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

trait

noun

A distinctive element:

attribute, character, characteristic, feature, mark, peculiarity, property, quality, savor.

Translations

صِفَه، ميزَه، خاصِّيَّه

rys

træk

Charakterzug Eigenschaft Merkmal

γνώρισμα

rasgo característica

trait trait de caractère

jellemzõ vonás

einkenni

caratteristica tratto tocco

iezīmeīpašība

trait

[treɪt] N → rasgo m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

trait

[ˈtreɪt] n → trait m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

trait

n → Eigenschaft f; (of particular person also) → Charakter- or Wesenszug m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

trait

[treɪt] n → caratteristica, tratto

trait

(treit) noun

a particular quality of a person's character. Patience is one of his good traits.

trait

n. rasgo o característica;

acquired ___ → ___ adquirido;

inherited ___ → ___ heredado.

trait

n rasgo; sickle cell — rasgo drepanocítico or falciforme; thalassemia — rasgo talasémico

References in classic literature ?

He is much addicted to overestimating his own perfections, and to undervaluing those of his rival or his enemy; a trait which may possibly be thought corroborative of the Mosaic account of the creation.

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But besides this, another trait in his character has become apparent, and as it is a good trait we will make haste to reveal it.

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The trait of which I am speaking, I replied, may be also seen in the dog, and is remarkable in the animal.

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Now, the dominating trait, the peculiar and distinctive trait of the character of the Primate of the Gauls, was the spirit of the courtier, and devotion to the powers that be.

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A single trait of feeling, taken from many others, will serve to show the point which this homage of a whole people to a single individual attained.

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In general the trait of Speranski's mentality which struck Prince Andrew most was his absolute and unshakable belief in the power and authority of reason.

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I have had no opportunity to find out any thing about the upper classes by my own observation, but from what I hear said about them I judge that what they lack in one or two of the bad traits the canaille have, they make up in one or two others that are worse.

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From the unorganized material thus brought clearly to the author's consciousness Imagination next selects the details which can be turned to present use, and proceeds to combine them, uniting scattered traits and incidents, perhaps from widely different sources, into new characters, stories, scenes, and ideas.

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A treasure of characteristic traits will repay all inconveniences, even should a frozen nose be of the number.

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He endeavored to summon up the por- traits which he had seen in his volume, and to place them, like living figures, in the empty seat.

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His gold-headed cane, too,--a serviceable staff, of dark polished wood,--had similar traits, and, had it chosen to take a walk by itself, would have been recognized anywhere as a tolerably adequate representative of its master.

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But, you see, a body never knows what traits poverty might bring out in 'em.

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