Word
tracer
Phoneticstrac·er
US/ˈtɹeɪsɝ/
UK/tɹˈeɪsɐ/
Definition
n. a substance or object that scientists use to follow the movement of something through a system. It can be a chemical in the body or a special type of bullet that leaves a trail of light.
n. an identifiable substance, such as a radioactive isotope or fluorescent dye, introduced into a biological or mechanical system to observe its progress or distribution. Also refers to a projectile containing a pyrotechnic charge that burns during flight to reveal its trajectory.
Examples
“The doctor used a radioactive tracer to find the blockage.”
“Engineers added a chemical tracer to the water supply to detect leaks in the underground pipe network.”
“By injecting a metabolic tracer into the bloodstream, researchers can monitor how different regions of the brain consume glucose during complex cognitive tasks.”
Examples
simple
“The doctor used a radioactive tracer to find the blockage.”
contextual
“Engineers added a chemical tracer to the water supply to detect leaks in the underground pipe network.”
complex
“By injecting a metabolic tracer into the bloodstream, researchers can monitor how different regions of the brain consume glucose during complex cognitive tasks.”
Usage
Commonly used in medical, chemical, and military contexts; often functions as a modifier in compound nouns like 'tracer bullet'.
Real-World Examples
“Grewal's solution was to look for chemical tracers within iron meteorites from the outer solar system that would point to an earlier era.” Etymology
From trace + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/tracer