tracker

/ˈtrækə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [trˈækɚ] /ˈtrækər/ (ame, ipa) · [trˈækɚ] /ˈtrakə(r)/ (ame, mw)

tracker — noun

  • trackersingular
  • trackersplural

1. a small electronic device or phone application that measures and stores informat

1.名詞B1
釋義

a small electronic device or phone application that measures and stores information on your body's movement — for example, how many steps you take, how far you walk, or how long you sleep.

例句

Esteban checked his fitness tracker and saw he walked over twelve thousand steps.

collocation: fitness tracker + counting steps

Roya's tracker buzzed and reminded her to stand up after an hour of sitting.

同義詞
  • activity band

    older / less common term for a wrist-worn fitness tracker

  • pedometer

    only counts steps; a fitness tracker does more (heart rate, sleep, etc.)

  • wearable

    broader category that includes smartwatches and health monitors, not just fitness trackers

常見錯誤

❌I bought a new tracker to check my emails.
✅I bought a new smartwatch to check my emails.
💡a fitness tracker measures activity data and is not a general-purpose device.
❌The package tracker says my delivery will arrive tomorrow.
✅The tracking number says my delivery will arrive tomorrow.
💡'tracker' in this sense refers to a device worn on the body, not a parcel-tracking system.

2. a small gadget or computer program that pinpoints where someone or something is,

2.名詞B2
釋義

a small gadget or computer program that pinpoints where someone or something is, typically by picking up satellite signals to keep a record of its path as it travels.

例句

Piotr put a GPS tracker on his dog's collar in case the animal wandered off.

pattern: GPS tracker + attached to + [object]

The firm uses a tracker on each van so customers see when their package arrives.

同義詞
  • GPS device

    more specific — uses the Global Positioning System; a tracker may use other satellite networks

  • beacon

    broadcasts a signal for others to detect, whereas a tracker actively records location

  • locator

    emphasises finding a position rather than recording movement over time

文法句型

tracker + on + [object/person]

GPS tracker + attached to + [object]

常見錯誤

❌I lost my phone tracker.
✅I lost my phone and cannot use the tracker app to find it.
💡'phone tracker' can be confused with a device that tracks the phone itself versus a tracker app on the phone.
❌The GPS tracker can see my house from space.
✅The GPS tracker receives satellite signals to calculate its position on the ground.
💡trackers receive signals, they do not send images.

3. a person who finds wild animals or missing people by carefully reading signs on

3.名詞B2
釋義

a person who finds wild animals or missing people by carefully reading signs on the ground — such as footprints, broken branches, or disturbed soil.

例句

The tracker studied faint footprints in the mud before pointing toward the ridge.

reading ground signs like footprints and mud

Yan, a tracker for a wildlife group, followed a snow leopard across the mountain.

同義詞
  • hunter

    focuses on killing or capturing, not just following signs

  • pathfinder

    more about scouting a route through unknown terrain than following an existing trail

  • scout

    sent ahead to gather information rather than following a specific target

文法句型

usually singular

用法筆記

This sense refers specifically to a person who reads natural signs (footprints, trampled vegetation) rather than someone using electronic devices. Distinguish from sense 2 (LOCATION DEVICE), which describes a technological tool.

常見錯誤

❌The police tracker showed the stolen car on Main Street.
✅The GPS tracker showed the stolen car on Main Street.
💡sense 3 (person) cannot do what an electronic device (sense 1 or 2) does.
❌The hunter used a tracker to keep his boots dry.
✅The hunter used a tracker to follow the deer's trail.
💡'tracker' refers to the person, not an object that protects footwear.

4. a type of investment fund designed to match the performance of a particular stoc

4.名詞C1
釋義

a type of investment fund designed to match the performance of a particular stock market index, such as the S&P 500 or the FTSE 100, rather than trying to beat it through active buying and selling.

例句

Tuan bought a tracker fund that follows the top five hundred US companies.

pattern: tracker + follows + [index/market name]

A tracker fund usually charges lower fees than a fund managed by an active investor.

同義詞
  • index fund

    the more common term in American English; same concept

  • passive fund

    broader category — any fund that does not attempt active stock-picking

  • exchange-traded fund (ETF)

    a type of publicly traded tracker that can be bought and sold like shares

反義詞
  • active fund

    a fund where a manager picks stocks to try to beat the market

文法句型

tracker + fund

tracker + follows + [index/market]

用法筆記

This sense is used mostly in British English. In American English the term 'index fund' is far more common. The word 'tracker' often appears attributively before 'fund' (a tracker fund) or in compounds like 'index tracker'.

常見錯誤

❌I bought shares in a technology tracker.
✅I bought shares in a technology tracker fund.
💡in financial contexts 'tracker' is usually followed by 'fund' or paired with 'index'.
❌A tracker will make me rich quickly.
✅A tracker aims to match the market over the long term
💡it does not promise quick profits.' — learners may overestimate the risk/reward profile.