trace
1a surviving mark, sign, or evidence of the former existence, influence, or action of some agent or event; vestige: traces of an advanced civilization among the ruins.
a barely discernible indication or evidence of some quantity, quality, characteristic, expression, etc.: a trace of anger in his tone.
an extremely small amount of some chemical component: a trace of copper in its composition.
traces, the series of footprints left by an animal.
the track left by the passage of a person, animal, or object: the trace of her skates on the ice.
Meteorology. precipitation of less than 0.005 inch (0.127 millimeter).
a trail or path, especially through wild or open territory, made by the passage of people, animals, or vehicles.
a tracing, drawing, or sketch of something.
a lightly drawn line, as the record drawn by a self-registering instrument.
Mathematics.
the intersection of two planes, or of a plane and a surface.
the sum of the elements along the principal diagonal of a square matrix.
the geometric locus of an equation.
the visible line or lines produced on the screen of a cathode-ray tube by the deflection of the electron beam.
Linguistics. (in generative grammar) a construct that is phonologically empty but serves to mark the place in the surface structure of a sentence from which a noun phrase has been moved by a transformational operation.
Obsolete. a footprint.
to follow the footprints, track, or traces of.
to follow, make out, or determine the course or line of, especially by going backward from the latest evidence, nearest existence, etc.: to trace one's ancestry to the Pilgrims.
to follow (footprints, evidence, the history or course of something, etc.).
to follow the course, development, or history of: to trace a political movement.
to draw (a line, outline, figure, etc.).
to make a plan, diagram, or map of.
to copy (a drawing, plan, etc.) by following the lines of the original on a superimposed transparent sheet.
to mark or ornament with lines, figures, etc.
to make an impression or imprinting of (a design, pattern, etc.).
(of a self-registering instrument) to print in a curved, broken, or wavy-lined manner.
to put down in writing.
to go back in history, ancestry, or origin; date back in time: Her family traces back to Paul Revere.
to follow a course, trail, etc.; make one's way.
(of a self-registering instrument) to print a record in a curved, broken, or wavy-lined manner.
Origin of trace
1synonym study For trace
Other words for trace
Opposites for trace
Other words from trace
- un·traced, adjective
Words Nearby trace
Other definitions for trace (2 of 2)
either of the two straps, ropes, or chains by which a carriage, wagon, or the like is drawn by a harnessed horse or other draft animal.
a piece in a machine, as a bar, transferring the movement of one part to another part, being hinged to each.
Origin of trace
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use trace in a sentence
It’s such a nuisance that Friends of Acadia has a crew of volunteer ridge runners whose mission is dismantling outlaw cairns and educating hikers to leave no trace.
The Ultimate Acadia National Park Travel Guide | Virginia M. Wright | February 8, 2021 | Outside OnlineBoth are unlikely to turn up in the fossil record, and that’s normal for trace fossils.
Giant worms may have burrowed into the ancient seafloor to ambush prey | Helen Thompson | January 22, 2021 | Science NewsWage and Hour employees failed to so much as enter five of the 10 complaints in the department’s database, producing no trace that a complaint was ever filed.
All a Gig-Economy Pioneer Had to Do Was “Politely Disagree” It Was Violating Federal Law and the Labor Department Walked Away | by Ken Armstrong, Justin Elliott and Ariana Tobin | January 22, 2021 | ProPublicaDespite a few flurries Wednesday, Washington has yet to record a trace of snow so far this January.
Increasing chances for a wintry mix early next week in the D.C. area | Jason Samenow, Wes Junker | January 21, 2021 | Washington PostThey also found traces of blood on the stone knife he was carrying.
Humans Have Gotten Nicer and Better at Making War - Issue 94: Evolving | Steve Paulson | January 6, 2021 | Nautilus
Throughout all the stories of loss and pain with the Chief, there was barely a trace of emotion.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile | Robert Ward | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST“Almost all of our human activities leave a chemical trace in the water,” says Alm.
The Secret to Tracking Ebola, MERS, and Flu? Sewers | Wudan Yan | November 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTRecently, when whistleblowers finally surfaced, the Home Office officials could find no trace of the dossier.
The Castration of Alan Turing, Britain’s Code-Breaking WWII Hero | Clive Irving | November 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe mounted a trace Elliot amplifier on the back of the truck.
Greil Marcus Talks About Trying to Unlock Rock and Roll in 10 Songs | Allen Barra | November 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd it is nearly impossible to trace each knockoff to each patient or to confirm how many were affected.
Patients Screwed in Spine Surgery ‘Scam’ | The Center for Investigative Reporting | November 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn chronic interstitial nephritis it is small—frequently no more than a trace.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddThey speak of a certain Norumbega and give the names of cities and strongholds of which to-day no trace or even report remains.
Against the blue background of the sky, green hill-tops trace an undulant line.
Bastien Lepage | Fr. CrastreA trace of bile may be present as a result of excessive straining while the tube is in the stomach.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddA trace of light had begun to soften the sky over the dome, but had not yet seeped down to ground level.
Fee of the Frontier | Horace Brown Fyfe
British Dictionary definitions for trace (1 of 2)
/ (treɪs) /
a mark or other sign that something has been in a place; vestige
a tiny or scarcely detectable amount or characteristic
a footprint or other indication of the passage of an animal or person
any line drawn by a recording instrument or a record consisting of a number of such lines
something drawn, such as a tracing
mainly US a beaten track or path
the postulated alteration in the cells of the nervous system that occurs as the result of any experience or learning: See also memory trace, engram
geometry the intersection of a surface with a coordinate plane
maths the sum of the diagonal entries of a square matrix
linguistics a symbol inserted in the constituent structure of a sentence to mark the position from which a constituent has been moved in a generative process
meteorol an amount of precipitation that is too small to be measured
archaic a way taken; route
(tr) to follow, discover, or ascertain the course or development of (something): to trace the history of China
(tr) to track down and find, as by following a trail
to copy (a design, map, etc) by drawing over the lines visible through a superimposed sheet of transparent paper or other material
(tr often foll by out)
to draw or delineate a plan or diagram of: she spent hours tracing the models one at a time
to outline or sketch (an idea, policy, etc): he traced out his scheme for the robbery
(tr) to decorate with tracery
(tr) to imprint (a design) on cloth, etc
(usually foll by back) to follow or be followed to source; date back: his ancestors trace back to the 16th century
archaic to make one's way over, through, or along (something)
Origin of trace
1Derived forms of trace
- traceable, adjective
- traceability or traceableness, noun
- traceably, adverb
- traceless, adjective
- tracelessly, adverb
British Dictionary definitions for trace (2 of 2)
/ (treɪs) /
either of the two side straps that connect a horse's harness to the swingletree
angling a length of nylon or, formerly, gut attaching a hook or fly to a line
kick over the traces to escape or defy control
Origin of trace
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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