trace
1 of 3noun (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 3verb
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 3noun (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
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
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire2
: a very small amount
He speaks with a trace of an accent.
trace
2 of 3verb
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 3noun
: 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 2noun
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
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