trace

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtrās

: a minute and often barely detectable amount or indication

a trace of a smile

: an amount of a chemical constituent not always quantitatively determinable because of minuteness

: a mark or line left by something that has passed

also : footprint

: a path, trail, or road made by the passage of animals, people, or vehicles

: a sign or evidence of some past thing : vestige

: engram

: something (such as a line) traced or drawn: such as

: the marking made by a recording instrument (such as a seismograph or kymograph)

: the ground plan of a military installation or position either on a map or on the ground

: the intersection of a line or plane with a plane

: 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

archaic : a course or path that one follows

traceless

ˈtrās-ləs

adjective

trace

2 of 3

verb

traced; tracing

transitive verb

: delineate, sketch

: to form (letters, figures, etc.) carefully or painstakingly

: to copy (something, such as a drawing) by following the lines or letters as seen through a transparent superimposed sheet

: to impress or imprint (a design or pattern) with a tracer

: to record a tracing of in the form of a curved, wavy, or broken line

trace the heart action

: to adorn with linear ornamentation (such as tracery or chasing)

: to follow or study out in detail or step by step

trace the history of the war

: to discover by going backward over the evidence step by step

trace your ancestry

: to discover signs, evidence, or remains of

: to follow the footprints, track, or trail of

: to lay out the trace of (a military installation)

archaic : to travel over : traverse

intransitive verb

: to make one's way

especially : to follow a track or trail

: to be traceable historically

traceability

ˌtrā-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce trace (audio)

noun

trace

3 of 3

noun (2)

: either of two straps, chains, or lines of a harness for attaching a draft animal to something (such as a vehicle) to be drawn

: leader sense 1e(2)

: one or more vascular bundles supplying a leaf or twig

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

Kids Definition

trace 1 of 3

noun

ˈtrās

: a mark left by something that has passed or is past

"… she seems to have vanished without trace …"

J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

: a very small amount

He speaks with a trace of an accent.

trace

2 of 3

verb

traced; tracing

: sketch entry 2 sense 1

: to form (as letters) carefully

: to copy (as a drawing) by following the lines as seen through a transparent sheet placed over the thing copied

: to follow the footprints, track, or trail of

: to study or follow the development of in detail

This book traces the history of art through the ages.

: to follow something back to its cause or beginning He traced his family's roots.

trace

3 of 3

noun

: either of the two straps, chains, or ropes of a harness that fasten a horse to a vehicle

trace 1 of 2

verb

as in to outline

to draw or make apparent the outline of trace your hand onto this piece of paper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

outline
define
sketch
silhouette
line
circle
delineate
trim
bound
surround
round
draw
frame
edge
margin
loop
diagram
ring
chart
rim
fringe
skirt
encircle
hem
girth
girdle
compass
map (out)

as in to track

to go after or on the track of police traced the burglar back to his apartment, where they discovered a ton of stolen loot

Synonyms & Similar Words

track
chase
pursue
trail
follow
shadow
course
tail
accompany
hound
escort
tag
dog
run after
run
watch
hunt
seek
observe
bird-dog
eye
chaperone
chaperon
search (for)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lead
guide
pilot
head

trace

2 of 2

noun

as in trail

a mark or series of marks left on a surface by something that has passed along it the wolf came and went without leaving a trace on the hard, dry ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

trail
track
footprint
path
residue
residual
sign
imprint
footstep
evidence
step
reminder
indication
print
clue
tread
scent
shadow
remnant
vestige
artifact
telltale
hint
footmark
token
hoofprint
inkling
cue
lead
rut
leavings
whiff
spoor
remainder
intimation
pug
relic
suggestion
remain(s)

as in route

a passage cleared for public vehicular travel an old trace that dates back to the days of the covered wagon

Synonyms & Similar Words

route
road
street
highway
thoroughfare
freeway
arterial
roadway
artery
boulevard
way
carriageway
expressway
drive
pass
turnpike
interstate
avenue
drag
causeway
row
high road
trail
lane
thruway
pike
track
bypass
motorway
parkway
branch
circle
corridor
ring road
through street
switchback
superhighway
autoroute
side road
dual carriageway
close
autobahn
side street
byway
secondary road
alley
high street
dead end
place
alleyway
beltway
autostrada
backstreet
corniche
crossroad
shunpike
bystreet
laneway
Main Street
mews
cul-de-sac

as in path

a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps stay on the trace, or you'll get lost in these thick woods

Synonyms & Similar Words

trail
path
footpath
pathway
track
road
route
street
walkway
passageway
pass
shortcut
roadway
bridle path
thoroughfare
run
alley
cutoff
lane
alleyway
bypath
byway
row
passage
towpath
bystreet
byroad
runway

as in vestige

a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished a ship that appears to have vanished without a trace on the high seas

Synonyms & Similar Words

vestige
relic
artifact
shadow
echo
remnant
ghost
reminder
memento
residue
residual
corpse
remembrance
rest
remain(s)
scrap
leftover
afterimage
aftertaste
remainder
balance
leavings
hangover
dreg(s)
oddment

as in shred

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

shred
hint
little
glimmer
touch
speck
sprinkling
splash
lick
bit
spark
particle
dab
spatter
tad
handful
sliver
scintilla
smell
ray
suspicion
fleck
streak
smidgen
portion
spot
smack
shadow
scruple
drop
pinch
crumb
ounce
strain
dash
soupçon
smidgeon
vestige
shade
nip
dram
minimum
bite
smidgin
part
snap
driblet
mite
semblance
grain
drop in the bucket
jot
peanuts
taste
smidge
dose
fragment
ace
whit
molecule
iota
syllable
dot
patch
scrap
modicum
skosh
nibble
mote
section
scattering
granule
atom
tittle
smattering
flake
splinter
morsel
flyspeck
hoot
minim
chip
clipping
paring
shard
nubbin
shaving
shiver
smatter
tatter
shot
smithereens

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stack
loads
quantity
mass
wealth
pile
mountain
mess
plenty
lot
bundle
heaps
bucket
abundance
deal
volume
raft
reams
gobs
profusion
barrel
peck
wad
scads
oodles
excess
boatload
fistful
bushel
lashings
surplus
passel
much
chunk
slab
potful
embarrassment
overflow
surfeit
overabundance
lashins
lump
overmuch
superfluity
superabundance
overage
bonanza
oversupply
overkill
hunk

as in hint

an almost imperceptible sign of something there didn't seem to be so much as a trace of the truth to anything he said

Synonyms & Similar Words

hint
touch
flicker
glimmer
breath
whiff
suggestion
evidence
sign
scent
indication
tang
inkling
wind
mark
intimation

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

permeation
saturation
pervasion

as in footstep

the mark or impression made by a foot followed the traces of the deer into the deep woods

Synonyms & Similar Words

footstep
footprint
vestige
step
footmark
track
hoofprint
tread
spoor
pug

Synonym Chooser

The words track and vestige are common synonyms of trace. While all three words mean "a perceptible sign made by something that has passed," trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

The synonyms track and trace are sometimes interchangeable, but track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

The words vestige and trace can be used in similar contexts, but 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

单词	trace
释义	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 See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences 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.” 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 memory trace trace fossil sink without trace trace element leaf trace sink without a trace without a trace (can) trace one's history (back) to contact trace memory trace trace fossil sink without trace trace element leaf trace sink without a trace without a trace See More Kids Definition trace 1 of 3 noun ˈtrās 1 : a mark left by something that has passed or is past "… she seems to have vanished without trace …" J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2 : a very small amount He speaks with a trace of an accent. trace 2 of 3 verb traced; tracing 1 : sketch entry 2 sense 1 2 : to form (as letters) carefully 3 : to copy (as a drawing) by following the lines as seen through a transparent sheet placed over the thing copied 4 : to follow the footprints, track, or trail of 5 : to study or follow the development of in detail This book traces the history of art through the ages. 6 : to follow something back to its cause or beginning He traced his family's roots. trace 3 of 3 noun : either of the two straps, chains, or ropes of a harness that fasten a horse to a vehicle 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 1 of 2 verb 1 as in to outline to draw or make apparent the outline of trace your hand onto this piece of paper Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance outline define sketch silhouette line circle delineate trim bound surround round draw frame edge margin loop diagram ring chart rim fringe skirt encircle hem girth girdle compass map (out) 2 as in to track to go after or on the track of police traced the burglar back to his apartment, where they discovered a ton of stolen loot Synonyms & Similar Words track chase pursue trail follow shadow course tail accompany hound escort tag dog run after run watch hunt seek observe bird-dog eye chaperone chaperon search (for) Antonyms & Near Antonyms lead guide pilot head trace 2 of 2 noun 1 as in trail a mark or series of marks left on a surface by something that has passed along it the wolf came and went without leaving a trace on the hard, dry ground Synonyms & Similar Words trail track footprint path residue residual sign imprint footstep evidence step reminder indication print clue tread scent shadow remnant vestige artifact telltale hint footmark token hoofprint inkling cue lead rut leavings whiff spoor remainder intimation pug relic suggestion remain(s) 2 as in route a passage cleared for public vehicular travel an old trace that dates back to the days of the covered wagon Synonyms & Similar Words route road street highway thoroughfare freeway arterial roadway artery boulevard way carriageway expressway drive pass turnpike interstate avenue drag causeway row high road trail lane thruway pike track bypass motorway parkway branch circle corridor ring road through street switchback superhighway autoroute side road dual carriageway close autobahn side street byway secondary road alley high street dead end place alleyway beltway autostrada backstreet corniche crossroad shunpike bystreet laneway Main Street mews cul-de-sac 3 as in path a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps stay on the trace, or you'll get lost in these thick woods Synonyms & Similar Words trail path footpath pathway track road route street walkway passageway pass shortcut roadway bridle path thoroughfare run alley cutoff lane alleyway bypath byway row passage towpath bystreet byroad runway 4 as in vestige a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished a ship that appears to have vanished without a trace on the high seas Synonyms & Similar Words vestige relic artifact shadow echo remnant ghost reminder memento residue residual corpse remembrance rest remain(s) scrap leftover afterimage aftertaste remainder balance leavings hangover dreg(s) oddment 5 as in shred a very small amount doctors detected only a trace of bacteria in the blood sample but put the patient on antibiotics just in case Synonyms & Similar Words shred hint little glimmer touch speck sprinkling splash lick bit spark particle dab spatter tad handful sliver scintilla smell ray suspicion fleck streak smidgen portion spot smack shadow scruple drop pinch crumb ounce strain dash soupçon smidgeon vestige shade nip dram minimum bite smidgin part snap driblet mite semblance grain drop in the bucket jot peanuts taste smidge dose fragment ace whit molecule iota syllable dot patch scrap modicum skosh nibble mote section scattering granule atom tittle smattering flake splinter morsel flyspeck hoot minim chip clipping paring shard nubbin shaving shiver smatter tatter shot smithereens Antonyms & Near Antonyms stack loads quantity mass wealth pile mountain mess plenty lot bundle heaps bucket abundance deal volume raft reams gobs profusion barrel peck wad scads oodles excess boatload fistful bushel lashings surplus passel much chunk slab potful embarrassment overflow surfeit overabundance lashins lump overmuch superfluity superabundance overage bonanza oversupply overkill hunk See More 6 as in hint an almost imperceptible sign of something there didn't seem to be so much as a trace of the truth to anything he said Synonyms & Similar Words hint touch flicker glimmer breath whiff suggestion evidence sign scent indication tang inkling wind mark intimation Antonyms & Near Antonyms permeation saturation pervasion 7 as in footstep the mark or impression made by a foot followed the traces of the deer into the deep woods Synonyms & Similar Words footstep footprint vestige step footmark track hoofprint tread spoor pug Synonym Chooser The words track and vestige are common synonyms of trace. While all three words mean "a perceptible sign made by something that has passed," trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect. the killer left no traces The synonyms track and trace are sometimes interchangeable, but track implies a continuous line that can be followed. the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs The words vestige and trace can be used in similar contexts, but 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
随便看	according to according to one's lights according to plan according with accordingly accordion accordion file accordion folder accordionist accordionists accordions accords accords with accost accostable accosted accosting accosts accouche accouchement accouchements accoucheur accoucheurs accoucheuses account

trace

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing trace

Kids Definition

noun

verb

noun

Medical Definition

noun

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser