trace

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
a
: a minute and often barely detectable amount or indication
a trace of a smile
b
: an amount of a chemical constituent not always quantitatively determinable because of minuteness
2
a
: a mark or line left by something that has passed
also : footprint
b
: a path, trail, or road made by the passage of animals, people, or vehicles
3
a
: a sign or evidence of some past thing : vestige
b
: engram
4
: something (such as a line) traced or drawn: such as
a
: the marking made by a recording instrument (such as a seismograph or kymograph)
b
: the ground plan of a military installation or position either on a map or on the ground
5
a
: the intersection of a line or plane with a plane
b
: the usually bright line or spot that moves across the screen of a cathode-ray tube
also : the path taken by such a line or spot
6
archaic : a course or path that one follows
traceless adjective

trace

2 of 3

verb

traced; tracing

transitive verb

1
b
: to form (letters, figures, etc.) carefully or painstakingly
c
: to copy (something, such as a drawing) by following the lines or letters as seen through a transparent superimposed sheet
d
: to impress or imprint (a design or pattern) with a tracer
e
: to record a tracing of in the form of a curved, wavy, or broken line
trace the heart action
f
: to adorn with linear ornamentation (such as tracery or chasing)
2
a
: to follow or study out in detail or step by step
trace the history of the war
b
: to discover by going backward over the evidence step by step
trace your ancestry
c
: to discover signs, evidence, or remains of
d
: to follow the footprints, track, or trail of
3
: to lay out the trace of (a military installation)
4
archaic : to travel over : traverse

intransitive verb

1
: to make one's way
especially : to follow a track or trail
2
: to be traceable historically
traceability noun

trace

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: either of two straps, chains, or lines of a harness for attaching a draft animal to something (such as a vehicle) to be drawn
2
3
: one or more vascular bundles supplying a leaf or twig
Choose the Right Synonym for trace

trace, vestige, track mean a perceptible sign made by something that has passed.

trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

Examples of trace in a Sentence

Verb The children traced their hands onto the sidewalk with chalk. You can put a piece of paper over the pattern and trace it. She traced the letters of her name. We will need to trace the electrical wires through the walls. The word “amiable” traces back to the Latin word for “friend.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Above this grass, trace half of a bowl to make a rainbow arch. Nicole Harris, Parents, 20 Mar. 2024 The aim is not to steal anything, just to break in, leave almost no trace, and snoop around. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 If anything, the most important takeaway from this whole affair may be that most digital manipulators don't leave quite so many obvious traces. Brian Barrett, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 Laboratory analyses have uncovered traces of the pesticide fipronil— banned in the EU and restricted in the United States and China— in the majority of the dead insects. Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Many items, such as textiles, wood, or other materials may decompose and disintegrate over time, leaving little historical trace, but ever durable, pottery offers glimpses into the past. Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 Subsequent traces eventually led experts to conclude the aircraft had flown drastically off course. Chris Lau, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Jump to Answer 16 There was no trace of any crew on the set of The Zone of Interest. Craigh Barboza, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 However, there is no trace of Charles on her account and the same can be said for his Instagram. Haley Van Horn, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024
Verb
Hur traces his interest in literature to his high-school English teachers, who included the journalist Caitlin Flanagan. Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024 Ray Tracing mode lowers the resolution, but adds ray tracing to Graphics mode's enhancements. PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024 The history of cherry blossom festivals Having a party to enjoy cherry blossoms, which bloom early each spring, is a tradition that traces its origins to Japan. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024 The New York Times traced much of that content to the work of Michael Yon, a former Green Beret who over the past three years has become the go-to tour guide for right-wing journalists, politicians and social-media influencers wanting to see the Darién Gap firsthand. Ken Bensinger Federico Rios, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Further along the path, a map tracing the Transatlantic Slave Trade shows nearly 3 million people were trafficked from Luanda, Angola, from 1501 to 1867. Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Detectives ultimately traced the vehicle to an apartment complex near Southport and Bluff roads. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Mar. 2024 The doc also traces their history together, the ups and downs of a storied career and gives them a chance to air their grievances — with their old collaborators, with their critics, and most pointedly, with each other. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2024 The further the film goes on, however, the more its digital maps of neural pathways resemble other images that appear on the subjects’ computer screens, like maps tracing the web-like movement of trending topics on social media, until eventually, its other shoe drops. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from tracer to trace

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French tracer, from Vulgar Latin *tractiare to drag, from Latin tractus, past participle of trahere to pull

Noun (2)

Middle English trais, from Anglo-French tres, plural of trait pull, draft, trace — more at trait

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 6

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trace was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near trace

Cite this Entry

“Trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trace. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trace

1 of 3 noun
1
2
: a mark left by something that has passed or is past
3
: a very small amount

trace

2 of 3 verb
traced; tracing
1
b
: to form (as letters) carefully
c
: to copy (as a drawing or pattern) by following the lines or letters as seen through a transparent sheet placed over the thing copied
d
: to make a graphic record of by a recording instrument
trace the heart action
2
a
: to follow the footprints, track, or trail of
b
: to study, follow, or show the development and progress of in detail
traceable adjective

trace

3 of 3 noun
: either of two straps, chains, or lines of a harness for attaching a horse to something (as a wagon or plow) to be pulled
Etymology

Noun

Middle English trace "a course, a mark left by something that passes," from early French trace (same meaning), from tracer (verb) "to sketch, show by drawn lines," derived from Latin tractus, past participle of trahere "to pull, drag" — related to abstract, attract, trace entry 3, trait

Noun

Middle English trais (plural) "two straps used for connecting a horse to a vehicle to be pulled," from early French tres, plural of trait, literally "act of pulling," from Latin tractus, past participle of trahere "to pull, drag" — related to abstract, attract, trace entry 1, trait

Medical Definition

trace

noun
1
: the marking made by a recording instrument (as a kymograph)
2
: an amount of a chemical constituent not always quantitatively determinable because of minuteness
3
: engram
trace transitive verb
traceable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on trace

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