Meaning

noun an extended area of land

noun a system of body parts that together serve some particular purpose

noun a brief treatise on a subject of interest; published in the form of a booklet

originFrom Middle English tract, tracte, traht (“a treatise, exposition, commentary”), from Old English traht, tract (“a treatise, exposition, commentary, text, passage”); and also from Middle English tract, tracte (“an expanse of space or time”); both from Latin tractus (“a haul, drawing, a drawing out”), the perfect passive participle of trahō. Doublet of trait.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0