tractile

Adjective

tractile (comparative more tractile, superlative most tractile)

1. Capable of being drawn or stretched out in length.
   • Becauſe it [the dormouse] dravveth the hinder legges after it like a Hare, it is called Animal tractile, for it goeth by iumpes and little leapes.1607, Conradus Gesnerus [i.e., Conrad Gessner]; Edward Topsell, “Of the dormouse”, in The Historie of Foure-footed Beastes. […], London: […] William Iaggard, →OCLC, page 527
   • The Conſiſtences of Bodies are very diuers: […] Fragile, Tough; Flexible, Inflexible; Tractile, or to be dravvne forth in length, Intractile; […]1631, Francis [Bacon], “IX. Century. [Experiment Solitary Touching Alterations, which may be Called Maiors.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London...

   Synonyms:

   ductile, tensile

   Antonyms:

   intractile, irretractile

2. Pertaining to traction or pulling.
   • Kites, which the kind Mr. Benjamin Smith had supplied me with, as a tractile power to assist us in dragging sledges, as well as a means of signalizing between parties, afforded much interest, […]1852, Sherard Osborn, Stray Leaves from an Arctic Journal; or, Eighteen Months in the Polar Regions, in Search of Sir John Franklin’s Expedition, in the Years 1850–51, New York, N.Y.: George P[almer]...
   • The sleighing, the sledding, or sliding, is gone. We now begin to wheel or roll ourselves and commodities along, which requires more tractile power.1860, Henry David Thoreau, Journal entry dated 25 March, 1860, in Bradford Torrey (ed.), The Writings of Henry David Thoreau: Journal, December 1, 1859–July 31, 1860, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1906...

   Synonyms:

   tractional, tractive

3. (dated) Capable of being guided, influenced, or led.
   • To Bribes, unbow'd: yet ductile in Command: / Their Heart, their Country's—and their King's, their Hand, // STILL-but how chang'd! -thus, thus, were Armies taught; / Un-paid, thus tractile; and thus rais'd, un-bought: […]1743, Aaron Hill, “Canto IV”, in The Fanciad. An Heroic Poem. […], London: […] J. Osborn, →OCLC, page 34, lines 95–98
   • It appears that shepherds have not changed more than sheep in the process of time. The shy hairy men who herd the tractile flocks might be, except for some added clothing, the very brethren of David.1903, Mary Austin, “The Mesa Trail”, in The Land of Little Rain, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC, page 156

   Synonyms:

   tractable, ductile, fictile, formable, moldable, plastic, sequacious, shapeable, bowsome, buxom

4. (obsolete, rare) Of financial assets: able to be drawn or procured from a place of deposit; liquid.
   • Some eight thousand (being late conquest) was liquid and actually tractile in the bank; the rest whirled beyond reach and even sight (save in the mirror of a balance-sheet) under the compelling spell of wizard Pinkerton.1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lloyd Osbourne, “Irons in the Fire. Opes Strepitumque.”, in The Wrecker, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, […], →OCLC, page 118
   • With all other assets that could be made tractile and merchantable, they went to pay Haym Salomon's debts.1930, Charles Edward Russell, “The Last Gift of All”, in Haym Salomon and the Revolution, New York, N.Y.: Cosmopolitan Book Corporation, page 273