TRACE Definition & Meaning

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trace

[ treys ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a 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.
Synonyms: , , ,
an extremely small amount of some chemical component:
a trace of copper in its composition.
Antonyms: , ,
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.
Synonyms: , ,
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.
engram.
a tracing, drawing, or sketch of something.
a lightly drawn line, as the record drawn by a self-registering instrument.
Mathematics.
1. the intersection of two planes, or of a plane and a surface.
2. the sum of the elements along the principal diagonal of a square matrix.
3. 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.

verb (used with object)

traced, tracing.

to follow the footprints, track, or traces of.
Synonyms: ,
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 ascertain by investigation; find out; discover:
The police were unable to trace his whereabouts.
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.

verb (used without object)

traced, tracing.

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.

trace

[ treys ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

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.

trace

/ �ٰ��ɪ�� /

noun

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
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

verb

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
troften foll byout
1. to draw or delineate a plan or diagram of
  she spent hours tracing the models one at a time
2. 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)

trace

/ �ٰ��ɪ�� /

noun

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

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Derived Forms

ˈ�ٰ��, adjective
ˈ�ٰ��𲹲��, adverb
ˌ�ٰ��ˈ��ٲ�, noun
ˈ�ٰ��ly, adverb
ˈ�ٰ��𲹲��, adjective

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

�ܲ�·�ٰ�� adjective

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of trace¹

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English verb trace(n), trase(n) “to make one's way, proceed, move along a set course,” from Old French tra(i)cier, traser, from unattested Vulgar Latin �ٰ��پ��, derivative of Latin tractus, past participle of trahere “to draw, drag”; Middle English noun trace tras(e) “way, course, line of footprints, track, trail,” from Old French, derivative of tracier

Origin of trace²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English trais(e), traice, from Old French trais, tres, plural of trait “harness strap, action of drawing,” from Latin tractus “a drawing, dragging”; tract ¹

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of trace¹

C13: from French tracier, from Vulgar Latin �ٰ��پ�� (unattested) to drag, from Latin tractus, from trahere to drag

Origin of trace²

C14 trais, from Old French trait, ultimately from Latin trahere to drag

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Idioms and Phrases

kick over the traces, to throw off restraint; become independent or defiant:
He kicked over the traces and ran off to join the navy.

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Synonym Study

Trace, vestige agree in denoting marks or signs of something, usually of the past. Trace , the broader term, denotes any mark or slight indication of something past or present: a trace of ammonia in water. Vestige is more limited and refers to some slight, though actual, remains of something that no longer exists: vestiges of one's former wealth.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But when he checked back in during the second quarter, the Lakers had found a little footing and traces of rhythm, and he cut backdoor to score his first basket on an easy layup.

From

Getting them out of orbit means they re-enter the atmosphere, burning up — but not without a trace.

From

She added: "What's missing is proper authentication of users. How does the company know that users are who they say they are - how will perpetrators be traced when grooming keeps happening?"

From

Police said at the conclusion of his trial they had video evidence, filmed by Zou himself, of potentially 50 more victims - and they have been trying to trace these women.

From

There were traces of blood in the rubble.

From

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

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