trace
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to find the origin or history of something by following its development.
v.to investigate or delineate the history, origin, or development of something by following a series of clues or records.
Simple“The police were able to trace the phone call to a house in the suburbs.”
In context“Historians have attempted to trace the evolution of these social customs back to the early medieval period, though primary sources remain scarce.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
v.to copy a picture by putting a thin piece of paper over it and drawing the lines you see.
v.to copy a drawing, map, or design by following its lines on a superimposed transparent sheet.
Simple“The child used a window to trace the cartoon character onto a clean sheet of paper.”
In context“The architect carefully traced the original blueprints to ensure the renovation plans maintained the building's structural integrity.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to follow the steps of a computer program to see how it works or find mistakes.
v.to monitor the execution of a program by recording the sequence of instructions or state changes.
Simple“The developer had to trace the code to find where the error was happening.”
In context“By using a debugger to trace the execution flow, the engineer identified a race condition that only occurred during high network latency.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a very small amount of something, especially something that is left behind.
n.a minute or barely detectable amount of a substance, often residual in nature.
Simple“The lab found traces of a rare chemical in the water sample.”
In context“Forensic investigators discovered minute traces of copper on the victim's clothing, suggesting they had recently been in a machine shop.”
- 05 B1 Intermediate
n.a mark or sign that shows someone or something was there.
n.a visible mark, footprint, or sign left by the passage of a person, animal, or object.
Simple“The hikers disappeared without a trace during the heavy snowstorm.”
In context“The ancient hunters followed the faint traces of the herd across the dry riverbed, hoping to find them before dusk.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
n.a thin line of metal on a circuit board that carries electricity.
n.a conductive path or track on a printed circuit board that connects electronic components.
Simple“If a trace on the motherboard is broken, the computer will not start.”
In context“The high-frequency signals required the designer to carefully calculate the width and length of each copper trace to prevent interference.”
- 07 C2 Proficiency
n.the sum of the numbers on the main diagonal of a square grid of numbers.
n.the sum of the elements on the main diagonal of a square matrix.
Simple“To solve the problem, you first need to calculate the trace of the matrix.”
In context“The trace of a linear transformation is invariant under a change of basis, making it a fundamental property in linear algebra.”
- 08 C2 Proficiency
n.one of the two straps or chains that connect a horse's harness to a vehicle.
n.each of the two side-straps or chains by which a horse or other draught animal pulls a vehicle.
Simple“The horse pulled hard against the traces as the carriage moved up the hill.”
In context“The leather traces had become brittle with age, snapping suddenly when the wagon hit a deep rut in the road.”
Usage traced back
“Solar eclipse | Wednesday’s eclipse began in Russia’s remote Arctic north , going on to trace an arc over much of western Europe.”
“Milburn says the risk of a child becoming Neet can be traced to their earliest years in preschool.”