tracing

American  

[trey-sing] / ˈtreɪ sɪŋ /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of tracing

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

Example Sentences

Browder also spent years tracing the proceeds of the scheme, with the help of investigative journalists at Barron’s and other publications.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

“Logic and neural networks are two threads tracing their way back through time, each corresponding to a different way of thinking about the mind,” Mr. Griffiths writes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

The show examines the environmental and human cost of the atomic era through an artistic lens, tracing present day nuclear risk back to its Cold War roots.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

In 1969, British economist Mark Blaug published a book called The Causes of Graduate Unemployment in India, tracing a gap between education and jobs that had been evident since the 1950s.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

“Aaaaay,” said Angeline, tracing the letter on the rough stone of the hearth.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

Related Words

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