trace

trace1 [ treıs ] verb transitive **

1. ) to find someone or something that you are looking for by asking questions and getting information:

Detectives have so far failed to trace the missing woman.

trace someone to something: They finally traced him to a town in Sicily.

a ) to discover the origin of something or how it developed:

Rita decided to trace her family roots.

trace something back to something: Many phobias can be traced back to childhood experiences.

trace something to something: The bug was traced to milk from a farm in Wisconsin.

b ) trace something to something to use electronic equipment to find out where a telephone call was made:

Cavan's call was traced to a house in the Bronx.

2. ) to describe what happened in a long process or series of events:

He is trying to trace the history of the regiment.

3. ) to copy an image by putting transparent paper on top and following the lines with your pencil

a ) to move your finger, lips, etc. along something:

He lifted his hand to trace the line of her cheekbone.

trace

trace 2 [ treıs ] noun **

1. ) count or uncount a slight sign that someone has been present or that something has happened:

The intruders were careful not to leave any trace behind them.

trace of: All traces of the damage had vanished.

disappear/vanish without a trace: She was seen leaving the house, then vanished without trace.

2. ) count a very small amount of a substance, especially when it is too small to see clearly or measure accurately:

trace of: Traces of blood were found in the bathroom.

a ) a slight sign of an emotion:

trace of: There was a trace of anxiety in her voice.

3. ) count TECHNICAL a pattern that a machine makes on a screen or piece of paper when it is recording an electrical signal

4. ) count a process for finding the origin of something, for example who made a telephone call or what has caused a problem