trace A trace is a mark or evidence that something exists. - Your fingerprints leave a trace whenever you touch something.
- Scientists are looking for traces of life on other planets.
- Traces of arsenic were found in the drinking water. (Even a small amount of arsenic is dangerous!)
- Anyone who surfs the internet leaves some sort of a trace.
- The man disappeared without a trace.
- There’s no trace of the woman who mysteriously vanished. (She left no evidence related to her disappearance.)
The word "trace" is also used as a verb: | simple | past | past participle |
|---|
trace | traced | traced |
- Kevin can trace his family history back to Germany and the Netherlands. (trace = go back to find the point of origin)
- The police were able to trace a phone call made from kidnappers who were soon apprehended.
- I tried to retrace my steps when I discovered that my cell phone was missing. (To retrace is to go back over an area that was previously travelled.)
To trace something also means that a person places a piece of plain paper on top of a picture and then draws an outline based on what is beneath. 
- Someone traced the head of a man.
- After the head was traced, the face was filled in.
- Detectives traced the body of a man who was killed in the street.
- Learning how to trace is helpful for people who are just learning how to draw.
Click here to go to the Word of the Day page. July 20, 2015 | 