R. C. Ch. [med.L. tractus, a spec. use of L. tractus ‘drawing, drawing out,’ fr. trahĕre to draw; ‘quia trahendo, id est tractim, canitur’: see Du Cange s.v.] = TRACT sb.2
a. 1450. Myrc, Festial, 64. Scho layth downe Alleluia and oþyr songys of melody, and takeþe forþe tractus, þat ben songys of mowrnyng, and sykyng, and longyng.
1493. Festivall (W. de W., 1515), 5 b.
1854. Helmore, Pract. Lect. Plain Song, 20. Graduals, Tractuses, Sequences, and Hymns.
