Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense traces, present participle tracing, past tense, past participle traced
1. verb
If you trace the origin or development of something, you find out or describe how it started or developed.
The exhibition traces the history of graphic design in America from the 19th centuryto the present. [VERB noun]
I first went there to trace my roots, visiting my mum's home island of Jamaica. [VERB noun]
The psychiatrist successfully traced some of her problems to severe childhood traumas. [VERB noun + to]
Synonyms: search for, follow, seek out, track More Synonyms of trace
Trace back means the same as trace.
Britain's Parliament can trace its history back to the English Parliament of the13th century. [VERB noun PARTICLE + to]
She has never traced back her lineage, but believes her grandparents were from Aberdeenshire. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
2. verb
If you trace someone or something, you find them after looking for them.
Police are anxious to trace two men seen leaving the house just before 8am. [VERB noun]
We are currently trying to trace the whereabouts of certain sums of money. [VERB noun]
They traced the van to a New Jersey car rental agency. [VERB noun to noun]
Synonyms: find, track (down), discover, trail More Synonyms of trace
3. verb
If you trace something such as a pattern or a shape, for example with your finger or toe, you mark its outline on a surface.
I traced the course of the river on the map. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: outline, chart, sketch, draw More Synonyms of trace
4. verb
If you trace a picture, you copy it by covering it with a piece of transparent paper and drawing over thelines underneath.
She learned to draw by tracing pictures out of old storybooks. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: copy, map, draft, outline More Synonyms of trace
5. countable noun
A traceof something is a very small amount of it.
Wash them in cold water to remove all traces of sand. [+ of]
He took great pains to write on his subject without a trace of sensationalism.
Synonyms: bit, drop, touch, shadow More Synonyms of trace
6. countable noun [oft withoutN]
A trace is a sign which shows you that someone or something has been in a place.
The local church has traces of fifteenth-century frescoes.
There's been no trace of my aunt and uncle. [+ of]
Finally, and mysteriously, she disappeared without trace.
Synonyms: remnant, remains, sign, record More Synonyms of trace
7.
See to sink without trace
Phrasal verbs:
See trace back
More Synonyms of trace
trace in British English1
(treɪs)
noun
1.
a mark or other sign that something has been in a place; vestige
2.
a tiny or scarcely detectable amount or characteristic
3.
a footprint or other indication of the passage of an animal or person
4.
any line drawn by a recording instrument or a record consisting of a number of such lines
5.
something drawn, such as a tracing
6. mainly US
a beaten track or path
7.
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
8. geometry
the intersection of a surface with a coordinate plane
9. mathematics
the sum of the diagonal entries of a square matrix
10. 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
11. meteorology
an amount of precipitation that is too small to be measured
12. archaic
a way taken; route
verb
13. (transitive)
to follow, discover, or ascertain the course or development of (something)
to trace the history of China
14. (transitive)
to track down and find, as by following a trail
15.
to copy (a design, map, etc) by drawing over the lines visible through a superimposed sheet of transparent paper or other material
16. (transitive; often foll byout)
a.
to draw or delineate a plan or diagram of
she spent hours tracing the models one at a time
b.
to outline or sketch (an idea, policy, etc)
he traced out his scheme for the robbery
17. (transitive)
to decorate with tracery
18. (transitive)
to imprint (a design) on cloth, etc
19. (usually foll by back)
to follow or be followed to source; date back
his ancestors trace back to the 16th century
20. archaic
to make one's way over, through, or along (something)
Derived forms
traceable (ˈtraceable)
adjective
traceability (ˌtraceaˈbility) or traceableness (ˈtraceableness)
noun
traceably (ˈtraceably)
adverb
traceless (ˈtraceless)
adjective
tracelessly (ˈtracelessly)
adverb
Word origin
C13: from French tracier, from Vulgar Latin tractiāre (unattested) to drag, from Latin tractus, from trahere to drag
trace in British English2
(treɪs)
noun
1.
either of the two side straps that connect a horse's harness to the swingletree
2. angling
a length of nylon or, formerly, gut attaching a hook or fly to a line
3. kick over the traces
Word origin
C14 trais, from Old French trait, ultimately from Latin trahere to drag
trace in American English1
(treɪs)
noun
1. Obsolete
a way followed or path taken
2.
a mark, footprint, etc. left by the passage of a person, animal, or thing
3. US
a beaten path or trail left by the repeated passage of persons, vehicles, etc.
4.
any perceptible mark left by a past person, thing, or event; sign; evidence; vestige
the traces of war
5.
a barely perceptible amount; very small quantity
a trace of anger
6.
something drawn or traced, as a mark, sketch, etc.
7.
the traced record of a recording instrument
8.
a.
the visible line or spot that moves across the face of a cathode-ray tube
b.
the path followed by this line or spot
9. Chemistry
a very small amount, usually one quantitatively immeasurable
10. Ancient Mathematics
a.
the intersection of a line or of a projecting plane of the line with the coordinateplane
b.
the sum of the elements on the main diagonal of a matrix
11. Meteorology
precipitation amounting to less than 0.127 mm (0.005 in)
12. Psychology
engram
verb transitiveWord forms: traced or ˈtracing
13. Rare
to move along, follow, or traverse (a path, route, etc.)
14.
to follow the trail or footprints of; track
15.
a.
to follow the development, process, or history of, esp. by proceeding from the latest to the earliest evidence, etc.
b.
to determine (a source, date, etc.) by this procedure
16.
to discover or ascertain by investigating traces or vestiges of (something prehistoric, etc.)
17.
to draw, sketch, outline, etc.
18.
to ornament with tracery
used chiefly in the past participle
19.
to copy (a drawing, etc.) by following its lines on a superimposed transparent sheet
20.
to form (letters, etc.) carefully or laboriously
21.
to make or copy with a tracer
22.
to record by means of a curved, broken, or wavy line, as in a seismograph
verb intransitive
23.
to follow a path, route, development, etc.; make one's way
24.
to go back or date back (to something past)
Derived forms
traceability (ˌtraceaˈbility)
noun or ˈtraceableness
traceable (ˈtraceable)
adjective
traceably (ˈtraceably)
adverb
Word origin
ME < OFr < tracier < VL *tractiare < L tractus, a drawing along, track < pp. of trahere, to draw
trace in American English2
(treɪs)
noun
1.
either of two straps, chains, etc. connecting a draft animal's harness to the vehicle drawn
2.
a rod, pivoted at each end, that transmits motion from one moving part of a machine to another
Idioms:
kick over the traces
Word origin
ME traice < OFr traiz, pl. of trait: see trait
Examples of 'trace' in a sentence
trace
The ruling family can trace its history back centuries.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Individual fronds can be identified along with signs of its original colour and traces of blood.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Much of that approach can be traced back to his sporting childhood.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The review team interviewed staff, assuring them that what they said would not be traced back.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I rang round lots of banks and nobody could find any trace of this payment.
The Sun (2017)
Their almost telepathic understanding can be traced right back to childhood, where they were already unknowingly preparing for adult life.
The Sun (2017)
There are also concerns about trace elements such not fine as copper, nickel and zinc which can be found in some vaping liquids.
The Sun (2017)
In 1962 she was hailed as the pioneer of a new technique that made it possible to match blood traces to different blood groups.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Our smiles, resigned and hollow, trace the same lines.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
These formations roughly trace the outline of each machine.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They denied that blood traces had been found.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But all traces of the track have now been removed.
The Sun (2011)
This was said sincerely without a trace of irony.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The origin of his performance gene can be traced back farther.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
You can still hear trace elements of other acts in his approach.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They say that phone records show no trace of the call to his father.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But we left no stone unturned in tracing a huge amount of evidence.
The Sun (2011)
No trace of either drone owner was found.
The Sun (2015)
The traces were smaller than a five pence coin.
The Sun (2008)
Her chubby fingers trace unfamiliar lines beside mouths and eyes.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The archaeologist finds traces of the past in the present.
Boyne, Roy Foucault and Derrida - The Other Side Of Reason (1990)
It traces the history of the city and its people.
The Sun (2016)
He could still trace the outline of a dent across the back.
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss THE WOLF AND THE DOVE
Maybe the boffins could have detected a trace of irony in the way she said it.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Simple phobias can often be traced back to specific traumatic experiences.
Vera Peiffer POSITIVELY FEARLESS: Breaking free of the fears that hold you back (2001)
To complete the process damp the stable rubber and go all over the horse to remove any traces of dust.
Eccles, Lesley Your First Horse - buying, feeding, caring (1989)
Use vigorous strokes, taking care to remove all traces of shampoo from the hair and scalp.
Guyton, Anita The Natural Beauty Book - cruelty-free cosmetics to make at home (1991)
We follow the manager, not the fund, and can trace his track record over more than two decades.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Word lists with
trace
Tack and equipment and their parts
In other languages
trace
British English: trace /treɪs/ NOUN
A trace of something is a very small amount of it.
Wash them in cold water to remove all traces of sand.
American English: trace
Arabic: أَثَر
Brazilian Portuguese: rastro
Chinese: 痕迹
Croatian: trag
Czech: stopa
Danish: spor
Dutch: spoor
European Spanish: traza
Finnish: jälki
French: trace
German: Spur
Greek: ίχνος
Italian: traccia
Japanese: 跡
Korean: 자취
Norwegian: spor
Polish: ślad znak
European Portuguese: rasto
Romanian: rămășiță
Russian: след
Latin American Spanish: rastro
Swedish: spår
Thai: ร่องรอย
Turkish: belirti
Ukrainian: залишок
Vietnamese: dấu vết
British English: trace VERB
If you trace the origin or development of something, you find out or describe how it started or developed.
The exhibition traces the history of graphic design.
American English: trace
Brazilian Portuguese: traçar
Chinese: 追溯
European Spanish: analizar
French: retracer
German: verfolgen
Italian: ricostruire
Japanese: 跡をたどる
Korean: 자취를 더듬다
European Portuguese: traçar
Latin American Spanish: rastrear
All related terms of 'trace'
re-trace
to trace (a map , drawing , etc) again
leaf trace
a vascular bundle connecting the vascular tissue of the stem with that of a leaf
trace back
memory trace
the hypothetical structural alteration in brain cells following learning
Natchez Trace
a road begun in 1806 between Natchez, Miss ., and Nashville , Tenn.: about 500 mi . (800 km) long
trace element
A trace element is a chemical element such as iron or zinc that occurs in very small amounts in living things and is necessary for normal growth and development .
trace fossil
the fossilized remains of a track, trail , footprint , burrow , etc, of an organism
ichnofossil
the fossilized remains of a track , trail , footprint , burrow , etc, of an organism
disappear without a trace
If you say that someone or something disappears without a trace , you mean that they stop existing or stop being successful very suddenly and completely.
to sink without trace sink without a trace
If you say that someone or something sinks without trace or sinks without a trace , you mean that they stop existing or stop being successful very suddenly and completely.