Showing results for "tracing"

• present participle of trace.

tracing

American  

[trey-sing] / ˈtreɪ sɪŋ /

noun

tracings plural

1. the act of a person or thing that traces.

2. something that is produced by tracing.

3. a copy of a drawing, map, plan, etc., made by tracing on a transparent sheet placed over the original.

4. the record made by a self-registering instrument.

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tracing British  

/ ˈtreɪsɪŋ /

noun

1. a copy made by tracing

2. the act of making a trace

3. a record made by an instrument

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tracings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tracing

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at trace ¹, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Tracing deportees as they are shuffled across borders in secret has been a recurring issue, lawyers have told AFP.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Tracing anything to the federal government’s rules on mifepristone seemed all but impossible.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

A new solo exhibition by Takashi Murakami, the iconic founder of Japan’s postmodern Superflat movement, is on view at Perrotin: “Hark Back to Ukiyo-e: Tracing Superflat to Japonisme’s Genesis.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

A 2016 GAO report found that the ATF’s National Tracing Center has to consult its repository of “‘out-of-business records” in more than one-third of trace requests involving an entity that has gone out of business.

From Salon • Jul. 18, 2024

Tracing with her finger the white and pink-tinged clouds against pale skies of gray or green, Kira wished again for blue.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

Related Words

• architecture
• arrangement
• composition
• construction
• drawing
• form
• idea
• layout
• map
• method
• model
• pattern
• picture
• plan
• scheme
• study