tra-, tract-, trac-, -tractive, -traction, -tracting, treat-, trai-

1. Not concrete; not relating to concrete objects but expressing something that can only be appreciated intellectually: "The scientific abstract that was published was very academic and challenging."
2. Not easy to understand; based on general principles or theories rather than on specific instances: "The abstract about light absorption was understood by very few people and so it was read exclusively by a select group."
3. A brief statement of the essential thoughts of a book, article, speech, court record, etc.: "The clerk will prepare an abstract for the judge to read."
4. A summary of a longer text, especially of an academic article: "The students were instructed to write short abstracts summarizing the main points in the article that was presented to them."
5. A concept or term that does not refer to a concrete object but denotes a quality, emotion, or idea; such as, truth, love, hate, etc.: "The aria from the opera emoted on the abstracts of love, hate, and revenge."
6. Existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment: "Clarence referred to abstracts like 'truth' and 'justice'."
7. A work of art, especially a painting, in a style that expresses the artist’s ideas or feelings instead of showing the exact appearance of people or things; not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature: "The artist's style of painting could only be described as abstract; because it was so difficult to understand."
8. Etymology: the word abstract was formed from two Latin word parts, ab-, "off, away from" + tract, "to draw, to pull".

Abstract originally meant "drawn" or "taken from"; such as, part of a text taken or abstracted from a larger piece of writing. Then abstract came to mean "difficult to understand" or "pulled away from easy understanding".

Later in the late 1800's, the word's meaning changed to a reference to a new artistic style; that is, abstract art when it suggested that the artists' pulled away from reality and were more concerned with presenting forms and ideas than in representing actual people and things.

1. To take away; to remove without permission; to filch; such as, a thief who abstracts a person's money from his or her apartment or takes it away from him or her: "While the thieves were in the house, they found and abstracted money and a computer from the residence."
2. To write a short summary of a speech, report, or other piece of writing: "Einstein's theory of relativity is said to be abstracted from data gathered in several scientific experiments."

In an absentminded or preoccupied manner: "Lorraine abstractedly answered the question as if her words were the beginning of a train of thought that were too fast to be expressed in normal speech."

A preoccupation with something to the exclusion of other things: "Alan's abstractedness indicated a condition of deep absorption or thoughtfulness about other matters."

1. An idea or a way of thinking that is not related to real situations or practical experiences: "The professor told his class that in some cases, 'beauty' and 'truth' are simply abstractions."
2. An emotional or mental condition that takes a person's attention from what is happening around him or her: "The student was looking out of the classroom window in abstraction as she was thinking about her sick mother during the teacher's presentation."
3. The act of obtaining or removing something from a source: "The doctor read an abstraction of the patient's data from the hospital records."

Artistic content that depends more on internal form rather than pictorial representation: "The student artist was told that abstractionism was simply a representation that has no particular reference to concrete objects or specific examples."

1. An artist who paints or creates art that expresses ideas and emotions by using elements of colors and lines without attempting to create a realistic picture: "Lawrence's sister was a well-known absractionist who was very creative with her unique forms and the blending of colors in her artistic endeavors."
2. Those who do not represent or imitate external reality or the objects of nature: "The abstractionists were criticized for not presenting realistic ideas for improving the parks, streets, and other aspects of the city that have been deteriorating for years."

A descriptive term for anything that is concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations: "There are too many abstractive definitions presented by dictionaries that are repetitious with words that include a slightly different format of the main entry and which result in definitions that are abstruse, lack clarity, or are simply too difficult for readers to comprehend."

A process in which higher conceptions (time when someone creates a new idea) are derived from the usage and classification of "real" or "concrete" ideas about things or groups of things that are derived from specific instances or occurrences or by other methods: "The Board of Directors were presenting investment ideas that were more in the realm of abstractiveness than of practical concepts."

1. Descriptive of being disassociated from any specific instance: "Roy abstractly communicated his feelings regarding the break up of his marriage."
2. A reference to something that is difficult to understand: "Lynn had difficulty comprehending the doctor's abstractly presented diagnosis of her illness."

That which is not physical nor consisting of matter: "Benjamin's abstractness was evidently a result of his being in a state of contemplation and not being connected with anything concrete or solid."

Contracture (static muscle shortening due to tonic spasm or fibrosis, or to loss of muscular balance) of the joints of the hands or feet.

1. To cause to draw near or to adhere to by physical force: "The magnetic poles are attracted to their opposites."
2. To arouse or to compel the interest, admiration, or attention of: "We were attracted to the display of lights."

If a girl attracts admirers, she draws them toward her.