trait
/treɪt
/ /treɪ /noun
1A distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person: the traditionally British trait of self-denigration...
- Lying is one of the most human of traits that really distinguishes us from the rest of the animal world.
- It must be common trait among women, being better at cooking once you're married.
- In talking with the many men, she had come to distinguish similar traits in all of them.
Synonyms
characteristic, attribute, feature, quality, essential quality, property, distinction, idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, quirk, foible, singularity, oddity, eccentricity, abnormality, mark, trademark, hallmark, earmark;
mannerism, way, trick, habit, custom, tendency
literary lineament
1.1A genetically determined characteristic: breeders were installing some trait that allowed the crop to thrive...
- They have lived on, the recessive traits in our genetic coding, and they have emerged in us.
- This suggests that these traits are genetically controlled depending on the growth stages of leaves.
- Most of her seeds are chosen because of the parents' hardy traits, so the genetic base of the garden is superb.
Origin
Mid 16th century: from French, from Latin tractus 'drawing, draught' (see tract1). An early sense was 'stroke of the pen or pencil in a picture', giving rise to the sense 'a particular feature of mind or character' (mid 18th century).