trace element

noun

: a chemical element present in minute quantities

especially : a micronutrient (such as iodine, iron, and zinc) with an optimum daily intake of typically less than 100 milligrams a day

Examples of trace element in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Then, a mass spectrometer will analyze that soil for trace elements and compounds, with a focus on finding water and other volatiles that could support long-term lunar exploration. —Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025

Selenium is a vital trace element found in living organisms, soil and plants, and your body needs only a small amount of it to function. —Aliasger K. Salem, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025

In comparison, adults need between 900 to 10,000 micrograms daily of copper, another trace element, and between 8,000 to 40,000 micrograms of the trace element zinc. —Aliasger K. Salem, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025

Seaweed is one of the best dietary sources of iodine, a trace element important to thyroid hormone production. 7. —Lindsey Desoto, Rd, Ld, Verywell Health, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trace element

• multielement

Kids Definition

trace element

noun

: a chemical element present in tiny amounts

especially : one that is used by a living thing and is considered essential to the functions necessary for life

Medical Definition

trace element

noun

: a chemical element present in minute quantities

especially : a micronutrient (as iodine, iron, and zinc) with an optimum daily intake of typically less than 100 milligrams