Meaning & Definition of word "Trace"

Trace

/treɪs/

1. a mark, object, or sign that shows that someone or something has been in a place.
- Example: The detective found a trace of the suspect's fingerprints on the window.
2. a very small amount of something.
- Example: The scientist detected trace elements of gold in the soil.

1. to follow the course or development of something.
- Example: We can trace the history of the building back to the 18th century.
2. to mark out a shape, line, or path.
- Example: She used a pencil to trace the outline of the map.
3. to find or discover by investigation.
- Example: It took us weeks to trace where the missing package went.

Middle English traacen, from Old French tracier, from Latin tractus, meaning to pull or draw.

trace one's steps:

to go back over where one has been, typically to find something lost.

trace a line:

to draw a line along a surface.

trace evidence:

small bits of material that are transferred from one location to another during a crime.

tracking:

the act of following the trail of something.

outline:

a line that marks the outer limits of a figure.

sketch:

a rough or unfinished drawing.

Meaning: to follow someone closely, often used in the context of surveilling or monitoring.

Example Sentence: I saw him trace all her social media to see what she was up to.

Meaning: to copy or replicate something directly.

Example Sentence: He's just tracing that artist's style without any original ideas.