I.a drawing, dragging, hauling, pulling, drawing out, trailing.
I. Lit. (mostly poet.): “tractu gementem Ferre rotam,” Verg. G. 3, 183: “tractu taurea terga domant,” Val. Fl. 6, 359: “modicus tractus (al. tractatus),” Plin. 9, 46, 70, § 153: “aut si qua incerto fallet te littera tractu,” stroke, Prop. 4 (5), 3, 5. “continuus subitarum tractus aquarum,” i. e. a drinking, Luc. 4, 368; cf.: “aëra pestiferum tractu,” i.e. a drawing in, inhalation, id. 7, 412: “repetitaque longo Vellera mollibat nebulis aequantia tractu,” Ov. M. 6, 21: harenam fluctus trahunt ... Syrtes ab tractu nominatae, i. e. from Gr. σύρω, = traho; “because of this drawing,” Sall. J. 78, 3: “(risus) interdum quodam etiam corporis tractu lacessitur,” i. e. movement, Quint. 6, 3, 7.—Of a serpent, a drawing itself along, a creeping, crawling: “squameus in spiram tractu se colligit anguis,” Verg. G. 2, 154; Ov. M. 15, 725; Claud. B. Get. 22; id. II. Cons. Stil. 172.—
2. Concr., a train, track, course: “nonne vides longos flammarum ducere tractus,” long trains, Lucr. 2, 207: flammarum, Verg. G. 1, 367; Luc. 2, 270: (Phaëthon) longo per aëra tractu Fertur, in a long train (of fire), Ov. M. 2, 320: “longo per multa volumina tractu Aestuat unda minax,” Luc. 5, 565; so of the course of the moon, Cic. Div. 2, 46, 97; “of the Nile,” Luc. 10, 257: “(Cydnus) leni tractu e fontibus labens puro solo excipitur,” Curt. 3, 4, 8: “aquarum,” id. 5, 3, 2: “ut arborum tractu equitatus hostium impediretur,” Nep. Milt. 5, 3; “of the wind,” Val. Fl. 1, 614; cf. Manil. 1, 532; 3, 366. —
B. Transf., a space drawn out, i. e. a stretch, extent, tract of a thing (class.): “castrorum,” Liv. 3, 28, 1: “cujus (urbis) is est tractus ductusque muri, ut, etc.,” Cic. Rep. 2, 6, 11 Moser N. cr.: “cum mediae jaceant immensis tractibus Alpes,” Luc. 2, 630; and Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 9. —
2. Concr., of places, a territory, district, region, tract of land (class.; “syn.: regio, plaga): oppidi,” Caes. B. C. 3, 112: “corruptus caeli tractus,” Verg. A. 3, 138 Serv.: “tractus ille celeberrimus Venafranus,” Cic. Planc. 9, 22: “tractus uter plures lepores, uter educet apros,” Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 22: “tractu surgens oleaster eodem,” Verg. G. 2, 182: “genera (vitium) separari ac singulis conseri tractibus, utilissimum,” Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 187; Flor. 1, 15, 2.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., course, progress, movement: “tractus orationis lenis et aequabilis,” course, movement, current, Cic. de Or. 2, 13, 54; cf.: “in omni corpore, totoque, ut ita dixerim, tractu (orationis),” Quint. 9, 4, 61: “cetera continuo magis orationis tractu decurrunt,” id. 5, 8, 2.—
2. Of time, space, lapse, period: “quod neque clara suo percurrere fulmina cursu Perpetuo possint aevi labentia tractu,” Lucr. 1, 1004; 5, 1216: “eodem tractu temporum nituerunt oratores, etc.,” Vell. 2, 9, 1: “aetatis,” Val. Max. 8, 13, ext. 2: “hoc legatum Cum voluerit, tractum habet, quamdiu vivat is, a quo, etc.,” duration, period, Dig. 32, 1, 11. —
B. In partic., a drawing out, protracting, lengthening, protraction, extension, length: “quanta haesitatio tractusque verborum!” drawling, Cic. de Or. 2, 50, 202: “pares elocutionum,” Quint. 4, 2, 118: “illa (historia) tractu et suavitate atque etiam dulcedine placet,” extent, copiousness, Plin. Ep. 5, 8, 10.—