trace

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtrās

: a minute and often barely detectable amount or indication

a trace of a smile

: an amount of a chemical constituent not always quantitatively determinable because of minuteness

: a mark or line left by something that has passed

also : footprint

: a path, trail, or road made by the passage of animals, people, or vehicles

: a sign or evidence of some past thing : vestige

: engram

: something (such as a line) traced or drawn: such as

: the marking made by a recording instrument (such as a seismograph or kymograph)

: the ground plan of a military installation or position either on a map or on the ground

: the intersection of a line or plane with a plane

: the usually bright line or spot that moves across the screen of a cathode-ray tube

also : the path taken by such a line or spot

archaic : a course or path that one follows

traceless

ˈtrās-ləs

adjective

trace

2 of 3

verb

traced; tracing

transitive verb

: delineate, sketch

: to form (letters, figures, etc.) carefully or painstakingly

: to copy (something, such as a drawing) by following the lines or letters as seen through a transparent superimposed sheet

: to impress or imprint (a design or pattern) with a tracer

: to record a tracing of in the form of a curved, wavy, or broken line

trace the heart action

: to adorn with linear ornamentation (such as tracery or chasing)

: to follow or study out in detail or step by step

trace the history of the war

: to discover by going backward over the evidence step by step

trace your ancestry

: to discover signs, evidence, or remains of

: to follow the footprints, track, or trail of

: to lay out the trace of (a military installation)

archaic : to travel over : traverse

intransitive verb

: to make one's way

especially : to follow a track or trail

: to be traceable historically

traceability

ˌtrā-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē

noun

trace

3 of 3

noun (2)

: either of two straps, chains, or lines of a harness for attaching a draft animal to something (such as a vehicle) to be drawn

: leader sense 1e(2)

: one or more vascular bundles supplying a leaf or twig

Choose the Right Synonym for trace

trace, vestige, track mean a perceptible sign made by something that has passed.

trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

Example Sentences

Verb The children traced their hands onto the sidewalk with chalk. You can put a piece of paper over the pattern and trace it. She traced the letters of her name. We will need to trace the electrical wires through the walls. The word “amiable” traces back to the Latin word for “friend.”