trace

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtrās 

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

ˈtrās-ləs 

adjective

trace

2 of 3

verb

traced; tracing

transitive verb

1

a

: delineate, sketch

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

ˌtrā-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

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

: leader sense 1e(2)

3

: one or more vascular bundles supplying a leaf or twig

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• imprint
• track
• trail

Verb

• define
• delineate
• outline
• silhouette
• sketch

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

Noun (1)

the wolf came and went without leaving a trace on the hard, dry ground

an old trace that dates back to the days of the covered wagon

stay on the trace, or you'll get lost in these thick woods

a ship that appears to have vanished without a trace on the high seas

doctors detected only a trace of bacteria in the blood sample but put the patient on antibiotics just in case

there didn't seem to be so much as a trace of the truth to anything he said

followed the traces of the deer into the deep woods

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

Despite his absence, traces of Margraff’s influence abound. —Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 20 Dec. 2024

Some patient advocates argue that early, preventative drug therapy should be offered to anyone with detectable traces of viral DNA in their blood, even before symptoms appear. —Ingfei Chen, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2024

Verb

Experts have warned that ghost guns are particularly sought after by criminal organizations and right-wing extremists who want to easily access weapons that cannot be traced back to them, according to the Times. —Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

The sheer trend can be traced back to the ’70s and ’80s when Yves Saint Laurent and Halston showed subtle sheer looks, as did Marc Bohan for Dior. —Marissa Muller, WWD, 8 Dec. 2024

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

Phrases Containing trace

• (can) trace one's history (back) to
• contact trace
• leaf trace
• memory trace
• sink without a trace
• sink without trace
• trace element
• trace fossil
• without a trace

Kids Definition

trace

1 of 3 noun

ˈtrās 

1

: road sense 2a

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

a

: sketch entry 2 sense 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

ˈtrā-sə-bəl 

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

ˈtrās 

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

-ə-bəl 

adjective