54 
T R A 
T R A 
near the breast. Linnaeus mentions one species, viz., the 
draco. Artedi refers the uranoscope also to this genus. 
The name is originally Greek, the word rpaxeivot; signify¬ 
ing rough, sharp, or prickly. It was given to this fish from 
the rays of its back-fin being remarkably rigid, and sharp 
like prickles. 
TRACHURUS Brasiliensis, a name given by Mr. Ray to 
a fish of the scomber kind, the scomber cordyla of Linnaeus, 
known among writers on these subjects by its Brasilian name 
guaratereba. 
TRA'CING, s. Course; path; regular track. 
Not all those precious gems in heaven above 
Shall yield a sight more pleasing to behold, 
With all their turns and tracings manifold. Sir J. Davies. 
TRACK, s. [traccia, Italian; taracq, Arab.; drach, 
Heb.] Mark left upon the way by the foot or otherwise. 
Hung by the neck and hair, and dragg’d around, 
The hostile spear yet sticking in his wound, 
With tracks of blood inscrib’d the dusty ground. Dryden. 
A road; a beaten path. 
Behold Torquatus the same track pursue. 
And next, the two devoted Decii view. Dryden. 
To TRACK, v. a. To follow by the footsteps or marks 
left in the way.—He was not only a professed imitator of 
Horace, but a learned plagiary in all the others; you track 
him every where in their snow. Dryden. 
TRACK, one of the Nicobar islands. Lat. 7. 30. N. 
long. 94. 6. E. 
TRACKEHNEN, a village of Prussian Lithuania, with a 
large stud of horses belonging to government; 15 miles 
south-south-west of Gumbinnen. 
TRACKLESS, adj. Untrodden ; marked with no foot¬ 
steps. 
Lost in trackless fields of shining day. 
Unable to discern the way. 
Which Nassau’s virtue only could explore. Prior. 
TRA'CKSCOUT, s. [ treck-schuyt , Dutch; trekken, 
to draw.] A passage boat, in Holland, usually towed or drawn 
by a horse.—It would not be amiss if he travelled over 
England in a stage-coach, and made the tour of Holland in a 
trackscoute. Arbuthnot and Pope. 
TRACT, s. [tractus , Latin.] Any kind of extended 
substance. 
Heaven hides nothing from thy view. 
Nor the deep tract of Hell. Milton. 
A region; a quantity of land.— Only there are some 
tracts which, by high mountains, are barred from air and 
fresh wind. Ralegh.— Continuity; any thing protracted, 
or drawn out to length.—The myrtle flourisheth still; and 
wonderful it is that for so long a tract of time she should 
still continue fresh. Howell. —Course; manner of process: 
unless it means, in this place, rather, discourse; explanation. 
The tract of every thing 
Would, by a good discourser, lose some life 
Which action’s self was tongue to. Shakspeare. 
It seems to be used by Shakspeare for track. 
The weary sun hath made a golden set. 
And by the bright tract of his fiery car, 
Gives signal of a goodly day to-morrow. Shakspeare. 
[Tractatus, Lat.] A treatise; a small book.—The church 
clergy at that time writ the best collection of tracts against 
popery that ever appeared. Swift. 
To TRACT, v. a. To trace out. Obsolete. 
Streight gan he him revyle, and bitter rate, 
As shepheardes curre, that in darke eveninges shade 
Hath traded forth some salvage beastes trade. Spenser. 
An ancient abbreviation of retract and protract: as, to 
tract and speak of a thing again, retractare,” Huloet; “ to 
trad the time.” Barret. 
TRACTABI'LITY, s. [ tradabilite » old French.] Capa¬ 
bility of being managed. 
TRA'CTABLE, adj. [tractabilis, Lat.] Manageable; 
docile; compliant; obsequious; practicable; governable. 
If thou dost find him tractable to us, 
Encourage him, and tell him all our reasons; 
If he be leaden, icy, cold, unwilling. 
Be thou so too. Shakspeare: 
Palpable; such as may be handled.—The other measures 
are of continued quantity visible, and for the most part 
tractable; whereas time is always transient, neither to be 
seen nor felt. Holder. 
TRA'CTABLENESS, s. The state of being tractable; 
compliance; obsequiousness.—It will be objected, that what¬ 
soever I fancy of children’s tractableness, yet many will 
never apply. Locke. 
TRA'CTABLY, adv. In a tractable manner; gently. 
TRA'CT ATE, s. [tractatus, Lat.] A treatise; a tract; 
a small book.—We need no other evidence than Glanville’s 
tractate. Hale. 
TRACTA'TION, s. [ tradatio, Lat.] Discussion of a 
subject.—A fit task for him, that intended a full tradation 
of the points controverted. Bp. Hall. 
TRA'CTILE, adj. [tractus , Lat.] Capable to be drawn 
out or extended in length; ductile—The consistences of 
bodies are very divers; fragile, tough; flexible, inflexible; 
tractile, or to be drawn forth in length, intractile. Bacon. 
TRACTIL'ITY, s. The quality of being tractile.—Silver, 
whose ductility and tradility are much inferior to those of 
gold, was drawn out to so slender a wire, that a single grain 
amounted to twenty-seven feet. Derham. 
TRA'CTION, s. [ tractus , Lat.] The act of drawing; 
the state of being drawn.—The malleus being fixed to an 
extensible membrane, follows the traction of the muscle, 
and is drawn inwards to bring the terms of that line nearer in 
proportion as it is curved, and so gives a tension to the tym¬ 
panum. Holder. 
TRACTORIiE, among the Romans, were diplomas or 
tickets given by the Emperor to such as he sent into, or called 
out of, the provinces; by which they were entitled to the 
use of the public post, and to be maintained at the expense of 
the government. 
TRACTR1X, in Geometry, a curve line, called also 
Ccitcricirici 
TRACY’S LANDING, a post village of the United 
States, in Ann Arundel county, Maryland. 
TRADATE, a small town of Austrian Italy, in the 
Milanese ; 20 miles north west of Milan. 
TRADE, s. [ tratta , Ital.] Traffic; commerce; exchange 
of goods for other goods, or for money.—Whosoever com¬ 
mands the sea, commands the trade; whosoever commands 
the trade of the world, commands the riches of the world, 
and consequently the world itself. Ralegh. —Occupation; 
particular employment, whether manual or mercantile, dis¬ 
tinguished from the liberal arts or learned professions. 
How r dizzy! half way down 
Hangs one that gathers samphire, dreadful trade. Shakspeare. 
Instruments of any occupation. 
The shepherd bears 
His house and household gods, his trade of war. 
His bow and quiver, and his trusty cur. Dryden. 
Any employment not manual; habitual exercise.—Call 
some of young years to train them up in that trade ; and so 
fit them for weighty affairs. Bacon. —Custom; habit; 
standing practice.—Thy sin’s not accidental, but a tradei 
Shakspeare. —Formerly trade was used of domestic, and 
traffic of foreign commerce. 
To TRADE, v. a. To traffic; to deal; to hold com¬ 
merce.—He commanded these servants to be called, to know 
how much every man had gained by trading. St. Luke. — 
To act merely for money. 
Saucy 
