traces
n. C / Un. very small amounts of something that stay behind after the rest is gone. You can also use this to describe signs that show someone or something was there in the past.
n. minute quantities of a substance remaining after the bulk has been removed, or visible marks and evidence indicating the former presence of an object or person. Often used in forensic or scientific contexts to describe levels of a substance that are barely detectable.
The police found traces of mud on the carpet.
The laboratory tests revealed tiny traces of a banned substance in the athlete's blood sample.
Archaeologists discovered faint traces of a Roman settlement beneath the modern city streets, providing evidence of a sophisticated irrigation system that had been forgotten for centuries.