# tracker

/ˈtɹækɝ/ (US) · /tɹˈækɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tracker
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. monitoring device or app

noun · CEFR B1

a device or software that records your activity, location, or health data.

For teachers: an electronic device or software application designed to monitor and record data over time, such as GPS coordinates or physiological metrics.

- I wear a fitness tracker on my wrist to count how many steps I take each day.
- The logistics company installed a GPS tracker on every vehicle in the fleet to provide customers with real-time delivery updates.

Usage: Often used in compound nouns like 'fitness tracker' or 'sleep tracker'.

### 2. person who follows tracks

noun · CEFR B2

a person who is skilled at following the marks or signs left by people or animals.

For teachers: an individual skilled in the art of tracking, typically following physical signs such as footprints or disturbed vegetation to locate a target.

- The expert tracker was able to find the lost hikers by looking at broken branches.
- The documentary followed a local tracker who could identify the age and health of a lion just by examining its paw prints in the sand.

### 3. web monitoring script

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a small piece of code on a website that follows what you do online.

For teachers: a script or cookie used by websites to collect data about a user's browsing habits, often for advertising or analytical purposes.

- Many modern web browsers now block trackers to protect your privacy.
- Privacy advocates warn that invisible third-party trackers can build a detailed profile of your interests without your explicit consent.

### 4. financial rate follower

noun · CEFR C1 · British English

a type of loan or mortgage where the interest rate changes based on a central bank's rate.

For teachers: a financial product, particularly a mortgage, with an interest rate that is pegged to a publicly tracked index, such as a central bank's base rate.

- They chose a tracker mortgage because they expected interest rates to stay low.
- Borrowers on a tracker mortgage saw their monthly payments increase immediately following the central bank's decision to raise the base rate.

Teaching tip: This sense is very common in the UK and Ireland; American English speakers usually refer to these as 'adjustable-rate' products.

### 5. music composition software

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a type of music software where notes are placed on a vertical timeline.

For teachers: a class of music sequencer software that allows the user to arrange notes and samples on a vertical timeline across several channels.

- He composed the entire soundtrack using an old-school tracker on his laptop.
- While modern digital audio workstations are more popular, some electronic musicians still prefer the rigid, mathematical workflow of a tracker.

## Examples

- I use a fitness tracker to count my daily steps.
- The logistics company installed a GPS tracker on every truck to provide customers with real-time delivery updates.
- Privacy advocates often warn that web trackers can build detailed profiles of individual browsing habits without the user's explicit consent or knowledge.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.