8. [Perhaps a mistake for tract.] A tract or area, as of land. [Obs.]
"Small tracks of ground." Fuller.
Track scale, a railway scale. See under Railway.
Track, v. t. [imp. & p. p. tracked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. tracking.] To
follow the tracks or traces of; to pursue by following the marks of the
feet; to trace; to trail; as, to track a deer in the snow.
It was often found impossible to track the robbers to their retreats
among the hills and morasses.
Macaulay.
2. (Naut.) To draw along continuously, as a vessel, by a line, men or
animals on shore being the motive power; to tow.
Track"age (?), n. The act of tracking, or towing, as a boat; towage.
Track"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, tracks or pursues, as a man
or dog that follows game.
And of the trackers of the deer Scarce half the lessening pack was
near.
Sir W. Scott.
2. (Mus.) In the organ, a light strip of wood connecting (in path) a
key and a pallet, to communicate motion by pulling.
Track"less, a. Having no track; marked by no footsteps; untrodden; as,
a trackless desert.
To climb the trackless mountain all unseen.
Byron.
— Track"less*ly, adv.- Track"less*ness, n.
Track"mas`ter (?), n. (Railroad) One who has charge of the track; —
called also roadmaster.
Track"-road` (?), n. A towing path.
Track"scout (?), n. See Trackschuyt.
Tract (?), n. [Abbrev.fr. tractate.] A written discourse or
dissertation, generally of short extent; a short treatise, especially
on practical religion.
The church clergy at that time writ the best collection of tracts
against popery that ever appeared.
Swift.
Tracts for the Times. See Tractarian.
Tract, n. [L. tractus a drawing, train, track, course, tract of land,
from trahere tractum, to draw. Senses 4 and 5 are perhaps due to
confusion with track. See Trace,v., and cf. Tratt.] 1. Something drawn
out or extended; expanse. "The deep tract of hell." Milton.
2. A region or quantity of land or water, of indefinite extent; an
area; as, an unexplored tract of sea.
A very high mountain joined to the mainland by a narrow tract of earth.
Addison.