trace
/treɪs/ (bre, ipa) · /treɪs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtrās/ (ame, mw)
trace — verb
- tracepresent simple I / you / we / they
- traceshe / she / it
- tracedpast simple
- tracing-ing form
1. to locate a missing person, animal, or object by following clues or signs that i
to locate a missing person, animal, or object by following clues or signs that indicate where they have gone
The police used satellite images to trace the missing boat in the Pacific Ocean.
trace + missing + location using technology
After months of searching, Anong traced her lost documents to a storage unit across town.
trace + object + to + location
The rescue team traced the hikers through the forest using their mobile phone signals.
Nila traced the dog's owner by checking the microchip at the vet clinic.
- lose
to be unable to find someone or something
文法句型
trace + object + to/in/through + location
用法筆記
Object can be a person, animal, or physical object. Often used with a location phrase introduced by to, in, or through.
常見錯誤
2. to discover where something began or what caused it, usually by working backward
to discover where something began or what caused it, usually by working backwards through the evidence
Health officials traced the outbreak of the illness to contaminated water from an old well.
trace + event + to + cause
The teacher helped students trace the argument to a simple misunderstanding about homework.
Walid traced the strange noise to a loose pipe behind the wall in the kitchen.
Investigators traced the anonymous letter back to a disgruntled former employee of the company.
- identify the source
slightly more formal; often used in scientific or technical contexts
- pinpoint
suggests greater precision; used for exact locations or moments
文法句型
trace + object + to + origin
trace + that-clause
用法筆記
Commonly followed by the preposition to or the phrasal combination back to. The object is typically an event, a problem, or a physical phenomenon.
3. to find the underlying causes of something by studying how it has changed and de
to find the underlying causes of something by studying how it has changed and developed over a period of time
The study traces the city's growth to the opening of a new railway line in 1920.
trace + development + to + historical cause
Researchers traced the company's success to a clever decision made by the founder in 2005.
The documentary traces the current conflict to political changes that began fifty years ago.
By examining old letters, historians traced the wealth to the silk trade in the 1800s.
- determine the origins of
more formal; emphasises the result rather than the investigative process
文法句型
trace + object + to + cause through historical study
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (DESCRIBE DEVELOPMENT): sense 3 focuses on finding causes by examining development, while sense 4 simply describes the development itself without necessarily identifying causes.
4. to describe or explain the sequence of events or stages through which something
to describe or explain the sequence of events or stages through which something has progressed over time
The book traces the history of democracy from ancient Greece to modern parliamentary systems.
trace the history of [topic] from [start] to [end]
Otis traced the development of jazz music through interviews with thirty different musicians.
The report traces women's progress in higher education in Japan over the past century.
Professor Chen traced Chinese writing from oracle bones to digital fonts.
文法句型
trace + the development/history/progress of + topic
用法筆記
Commonly appears in academic and non-fiction writing. Subject is often a book, report, lecture, or documentary. The focus is on description, not on discovering causes.
常見錯誤
5. to reproduce an existing picture or design by laying a thin see-through sheet on
to reproduce an existing picture or design by laying a thin see-through sheet on top of it and following the visible lines with a writing tool
Ryo traced the outline of a leaf onto paper using thin tracing paper.
trace + outline + onto + paper using tracing paper
The art student traced the map before adding place names with colored pencils.
Benjamin traced his favourite cartoon character from a comic book onto his sketchpad.
The children traced animal shapes onto fabric for their craft project at school.
- copy
more general; does not specify the tracing-paper technique
文法句型
trace + object + onto + surface
trace + object + with + tool
用法筆記
In digital contexts, trace can also mean "to use a computer to draw over an imported image" using image-editing software.
6. to draw the outer shape or boundary of something by moving a finger, pen, or oth
to draw the outer shape or boundary of something by moving a finger, pen, or other object along its edges or across a surface
Rachid traced a heart in the sand with a stick and smiled at his daughter.
trace + shape + in + surface with + tool
With her finger, Amira traced the outline of a mountain on the old paper map.
trace + outline + on + surface
The child traced circles in the air while pretending to be a magician.
Pedro traced a fish shape on the foggy bus window during the ride home.
文法句型
trace + shape/outline + on/with + surface/tool
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 5 (COPY BY DRAWING): sense 6 involves creating an original outline freehand, not copying an existing image through transparent paper.
7. to follow a long, narrow route or path across a landscape, especially when descr
to follow a long, narrow route or path across a landscape, especially when describing the direction or shape of a road, river, or boundary
The ancient road traces the coastline for almost two hundred kilometres along the Mediterranean.
trace + route + for distance along landmark
A narrow path traces the cliff edge and leads to a hidden beach below.
The river traces a winding course through the valley before reaching the sea.
A small train line traces the border and stops at six villages along the way.
文法句型
trace + path/route + across/through/along + area
用法筆記
This sense is almost exclusively used with geographical features (rivers, roads, borders, paths) as the object. The subject is typically a natural feature or infrastructure.
trace — noun
- tracesingular
- tracesplural
1. a small physical sign or mark that shows that someone or something was present i
a small physical sign or mark that shows that someone or something was present in a place, or that a particular event happened there
The archaeologists found traces of a Roman settlement beneath the car park near the river.
traces of [past settlement/habitation]
There was no trace of the stolen painting anywhere in the warehouse.
no trace of [lost/missing thing]
The fresh snow preserved traces of animal footprints from the night before in the garden.
Detectives found traces of red paint on the suspect's shoes near the door.
The old house showed no trace of the fire that damaged it years ago.
文法句型
traces of + noun
a trace of + noun
no trace of + noun
用法筆記
Common in the phrase no trace of to indicate that something has completely disappeared or cannot be found.
常見錯誤
2. a record or report showing the route that an electronic message, phone call, or
a record or report showing the route that an electronic message, phone call, or online search has taken, or the act of finding this information
The phone company provided a trace of calls made from the suspect's number that night.
phone trace / call trace
The email trace showed the message passed through servers in three different countries.
Saira requested a trace of her parcel's delivery route after it failed to arrive.
The network administrator ran a trace to find where the security breach came from.
- record
more general; does not specifically relate to electronic tracking
文法句型
a trace of + electronic communication
phone trace
email trace
用法筆記
In everyday conversation, trace in this sense is most commonly used in the phrases phone trace and email trace. The verb form I'll trace the call is equally common.
3. an extremely small quantity of something, especially a substance, a quality, or
an extremely small quantity of something, especially a substance, a quality, or an emotion, that is just barely noticeable or detectable
The sauce had a trace of chili that gave it a gentle warmth.
a trace of [flavour/ingredient]
There was a trace of amusement in her voice as she pretended to be angry.
Laboratory tests detected traces of dangerous chemicals in the drinking water near the old factory.
Joshua spoke without a trace of nervousness during his wedding speech.
A trace of sadness remained in her eyes after the conversation about her childhood.
- lot
a large amount
文法句型
a trace of + noun
traces of + noun
without a trace of + noun
用法筆記
Often used in the negative construction without a trace of to emphasise that a quality is completely absent. Can refer to physical substances (traces of poison) or abstract qualities (a trace of doubt).