protracts

Protracts is a rarely used plural noun form associated with the verb protract, meaning to extend or prolong. In modern English, protract as a noun is scarcely attested; when the sense of prolongation is needed, writers typically use protraction or prolongation. If protract is encountered as a noun in older or specialized texts, protracts would function as its plural, referring to multiple instances of prolongation or drawn-out periods.

Origin and usage notes

The term protract derives from Latin protractus, meaning drawn out or extended, and entered English through historical usage. Because the noun form protract is uncommon, the plural protracts appears mainly in archaic, technical, or literary contexts rather than contemporary prose. By contrast, protraction is widely used to denote the act or process of prolonging, and protracted is the common adjectival form.

Relation to related terms

Protracts should not be confused with protractor, the geometry instrument used to measure and draw angles. Protraction (or prolongation) is the standard noun for the concept of extending duration, while protracted describes something extended in time. In everyday writing, the verb form is far more common; the present-tense third-person singular of protract is protracts (he protracts).

Examples in usage

In historical or specialized texts you might encounter sentences that treat protracts as instances of delay or extension. In contemporary writing, however, protractions or prolongations are preferred, and protracts is typically avoided unless quoting older sources or maintaining a strict terminological distinction.

See also

Protraction, protracted, prolongation, protractor, protract (as a verb).