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Synonyms

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.

tracing British  
/ ˈtreɪsɪŋ /

noun

  1. a copy made by tracing

  2. the act of making a trace

  3. a record made by an instrument

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tracing

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After a suspected outbreak of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship left three people dead and several others ill, a global contact tracing effort is under way.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

In a meeting at the Italian foreign ministry on Friday morning, Tajani and other officials presented Rubio with documents tracing the US diplomat's Italian origins.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

Contact tracing is under way in several other countries for dozens of passengers who left the Dutch cruise ship before the outbreak was detected - including Switzerland and the Netherlands.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Contract tracing has to be done on remote islands and in major international cities like Johannesburg for a virus that has an incubation period as long as eight weeks.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Frankie placed his hand on my cheek, tracing the curve of my cheekbone.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.