memory trace
noun
: a transient or long-term change in the brain that represents something (such as an experience) encoded as a memory : engram
Examples of memory trace in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If true, this would help explain how only the specific synapses involved in a particular physical memory trace are strengthened, when a neuron may have thousands of synapses that connect it to various other cells.
—
Ajdina Halilovic, Wired News, 6 July 2025
Practice strengthens the memory trace, consolidating it into procedural memory.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Today, no memory trace remains at this jetty, which has since become a popular angling spot.
—Zining Mok, Longreads, 22 Oct. 2024
But how did those watching the events of that day manage to imprint a memory trace of it, etching the details with neurons and synapses in the soft cement of the brain?
—Dan Hurley, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2012
The physical location of a memory in the brain is often called an ‘engram’ or ‘memory trace’.
—Caitlin Aamodt, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2017
But obviously, taking a memory trace apart and putting it back together again makes that memory vulnerable to losing its fidelity.
—Caitlin Aamodt, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2017
Recalling a memory reactivates the neurons composing the memory trace, spurring them to form new connections.
—Caitlin Aamodt, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2017
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Ajdina Halilovic, Wired News, 6 July 2025
Practice strengthens the memory trace, consolidating it into procedural memory.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Today, no memory trace remains at this jetty, which has since become a popular angling spot.
—Zining Mok, Longreads, 22 Oct. 2024
But how did those watching the events of that day manage to imprint a memory trace of it, etching the details with neurons and synapses in the soft cement of the brain?
—Dan Hurley, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2012
The physical location of a memory in the brain is often called an ‘engram’ or ‘memory trace’.
—Caitlin Aamodt, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2017
But obviously, taking a memory trace apart and putting it back together again makes that memory vulnerable to losing its fidelity.
—Caitlin Aamodt, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2017
Recalling a memory reactivates the neurons composing the memory trace, spurring them to form new connections.
—Caitlin Aamodt, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Memory trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memory%20trace. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
memory trace
noun
: a transient or long-term change in the brain that represents something (such as an experience) stored as a memory : engram
… a class of drugs that changes the rules about how a memory is encoded and how strong a memory trace is …—New Scientist
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