Trait
/treɪt/noun
A distinctive quality, characteristic, or feature of a person or thing.
Did you know?In Old French, trait could mean a stroke, line, or arrow, before developing its modern psychological sense of a distinguishing characteristic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tragh-
“To draw, drag, or pull”
Classical Latin
Latin
trahere
“To draw, pull, or drag”
Classical Latin
Latin
tractus
“A drawing, pull, stretch, or course”
12th–13th Century
Old French
trait
“A stroke, line, feature, or arrow”
14th Century
Middle English
trait
“A distinctive feature or characteristic”
Modern English
English
trait
“A characteristic quality or feature”