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trait

French, noun/tʁɛ/

trait is spelled T-R-A-I-T (5 letters) and appears 17 times per million words in written French, the 4,323rd most frequent French word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Trait is a French masculine noun meaning “line” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is also a past participle of traire. The French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) defines it as “Traction animale (souvent par du bétail)”.

What does trait mean in English?

noun

  1. 1

    masculineline

  2. 2

    masculinetrait

  3. 3

    masculinecolor of a mineral

  4. 4

    datedmasculinethe action of hauling or pulling (by an animal of burden)

  5. 5

    datedmasculinestraps or cords placed on an animal of burden and attached to the vehicle which the animal pulls

  6. 6

    masculineobsoletean action reflecting a favorable or adverse intention by one person toward another

  7. 7

    masculinea remarkable or influential historical event

  8. 8

    masculinea particular passage in a speech that is well-written; an excellent or appealing characteristic of a speech

verb

  1. 1

    past participle of traire

verb

  1. 1

    third-person singular present indicative

  2. 2

    third-person singular past historic

Source: English Wiktionary, French section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How French dictionaries define it

noun: 1. Traction animale (souvent par du bétail). 2. Ce qui sert à tirer une voiture, des cordes, des lanières de cuir, des chaines avec lesquelles on attelle le cheval. 3. Longe à laquelle est attaché le limier qu’on mène au bois. 4. Action de tirer à l’arc.

adjective: 1. Que l’on a trait. 2. Passé par la filière.

The definition in the French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire), in French.

Source: French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.

Forms of trait

  • traits plural
  • traite feminine
  • traites feminine plural

Source: English Wiktionary and French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).

How do you pronounce trait?

  • /tʁɛ/
  • \tʁɛ\

Sources: English Wiktionary, French Wiktionary (Wiktionnaire) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.

English words that translate to trait

Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.

How common is trait in French?

trait appears 17 times per million words in written French.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

What to look up after trait