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Trace Very Common

Trace has 17 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

a just detectable amount

"he speaks French with a trace of an accent"

"a hint mockery in her manner"

"a tint of glamour"

2

an indication that something has been present

"there wasn't a trace of evidence for the claim"

"a tincture of condescension"

3

a suggestion of some quality

"there was a touch of sarcasm in his tone"

"he detected a ghost of a smile on her face"

4

a drawing created by superimposing a semitransparent sheet of paper on the original image and copying on it the lines of the original image

"She carefully placed the tracing paper over the sketch to trace every curve before starting her own version."

5

either of two lines that connect a horse's harness to a wagon or other vehicle or to a whiffletree

"The blacksmith tightened the leather traces to ensure they wouldn't chafe against the horse's shoulders while pulling the heavy cart."

6

a visible mark (as a footprint) left by the passage of person or animal or vehicle

"The muddy driveway was covered in fresh traces of dog paws leading toward the backyard gate."

7

An act of tracing.

"After finishing her coffee, she picked up a pen to trace the rim of the mug while watching the rain streak down the window."

In plain English: A trace is a very small amount of something that remains after most of it has disappeared.

"The old map has lost most of its ink, leaving only a faint trace of the original route."

Verb
1

follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something

"We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba"

"trace the student's progress"

"trace one's ancestry"

2

make a mark or lines on a surface

"draw a line"

"trace the outline of a figure in the sand"

3

to go back over again

"we retraced the route we took last summer"

"trace your path"

4

pursue or chase relentlessly

"The hunters traced the deer into the woods"

"the detectives hounded the suspect until they found him"

5

discover traces of

"She traced the circumstances of her birth"

6

make one's course or travel along a path; travel or pass over, around, or along

"The children traced along the edge of the dark forest"

"The women traced the pasture"

7

copy by following the lines of the original drawing on a transparent sheet placed upon it; make a tracing of

"trace a design"

"trace a pattern"

8

read with difficulty

"Can you decipher this letter?"

"The archeologist traced the hieroglyphs"

9

To follow the trail of.

"The detective spent hours tracing a suspect's movements through the crowded city streets."

In plain English: To trace something means to follow its path or history step by step until you find where it came from or where it is going.

"She used her phone to trace the location of the lost package."

Proper Noun
1

A short form of the female given name Tracy or Tracey.

"My new coworker's name is Trace, which is a nickname for her friend Tracy."

Example Sentences
"The old map has lost most of its ink, leaving only a faint trace of the original route." noun
"She used her phone to trace the location of the lost package." verb
See Also
outline cyberfootprint dendrochemistry whippletree pinite tug mortichnium pricking
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
small indefinite quantity indication suggestion drawing line mark analyze return chase detect proceed copy read
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
spark footprint construct inscribe circumscribe write ferret

Origin

The word "trace" comes from the Old French trace, which originally meant an outline or a track. It entered Middle English as a noun derived directly from this earlier form before evolving into its current usage in English.

Rhyming Words
ace hace pace face race lace wace jace tace mace bace glace chace apace stace brace space arace place peace
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