trace

Word family  noun trace adjective traceable verb trace

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Painting and drawing

trace1 /treɪs/ ●●○ AWL verb [transitive]  1  find SB/STH 发现某人/某物FIND to find someone or something that has disappeared by searching for them carefully 仔细找寻 She had given up all hope of tracing her missing daughter. 她已经完全放弃了寻找失踪女儿的希望。 Police are trying to trace a young woman who was seen near the accident. 警方在设法寻找被目击出现在事故现场附近的一名年轻女子。► see thesaurus at find2  origins 来源FIND OUT to find the origins of when something began or where it came from 追溯；追查trace something (back) to something They’ve traced their ancestry to Scotland. 他们将自己的世系追溯到苏格兰。 The style of these paintings can be traced back to early medieval influences. 这些绘画的风格可以追溯到中世纪早期的影响。3  history/development 历史/发展DESCRIBE to study or describe the history, development, or progress of something 研究…的历史；探索…的发展；追寻…的轨迹 Sondheim’s book traces the changing nature of the relationship between men and women. 桑德海姆的这本书研究了男女关系性质的变化。4. copy 复写AVD to copy a drawing, map etc by putting a piece of transparent paper over it and then drawing the lines you can see through the paper 〔用透明纸在图上〕描摹，描绘► see thesaurus at draw5  with your finger 用手指DRAW to draw real or imaginary lines on the surface of something, usually with your finger or toe 〔用手指或脚趾在物体表面〕画〔线〕；留下〔印迹〕trace something on/in/across something Rosie’s fingers traced a delicate pattern in the sand. 罗茜用手指在沙地上画出一幅精美的图案。6  trace a call TCTto find out where a telephone call is coming from by using special electronic equipment 〔利用特殊的电子设备〕追踪电话 His call was traced and half an hour later police arrested him. 他的电话被追踪，半小时后警方就逮捕了他。 —traceable adjective→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

trace• The other student has not been traced.• Police are trying to trace a red van, which several witnesses reported seeing near the scene of the crime.• The tradition traces back to medieval Spain.• Philips hired a private detective to trace his daughter, who had been missing for two months.• Their ancestry can be traced in the Reading area as far back as 1240.• "Did you draw this yourself?" "No, I traced it."• It has begun tracing lines, through totally vacant space, between recurrences.• Once again one can trace some continuities of practice with older forms of representation.• Keep him on the line so we can trace the call.• Students will trace the development of labor unions in the U.S.• Nor is the manner in which Mumford traces the historical roots of this development much different from that of Wittfogel.• The children traced the map of France and then wrote in the names of the places they had visited.• Police are still trying to trace the missing child.• It takes a bit of detective work to trace the symptom back to the cause.• The cash was eventually traced to a prominent Paris lawyer.trace something (back) to something• Three hundred workpeople trampling about and regular cleaning means traces are going to be destroyed long ago, I would have thought.• The success of the company can be traced to good marketing.• At least 80% green patina remains with enough traces of gilt to show that the overall effect was golden.• If today such spending amounts to roughly two-thirds of all economic activity, we can trace its origin back to the 1920s.• It takes a bit of detective work to trace the symptom back to the cause.• The roots of this new fascination can be traced back to the heart of minimalism.• This effect is traced inpart to the special status afforded to characters which are introduced through proper names.• Eusebius traces them to the time of the Emperor Trajan, A.D. 98-117.• Some trace their improvement to the unity forged there.trace something on/in/across something• Jen traced her name in the sand.

Related topics: Telephone, telegraph, Bicycles, carts, horses

trace2 ●●○ AWL noun  1  sign of STH 某事物的迹象 [countable, uncountable]DISAPPEAR a small sign that shows that someone or something was present or existed 踪迹，痕迹，迹象 There was no trace of anyone having entered the room since then. 没有任何迹象表明在那以后有人进过这房间。 Petra’s lost all trace of her German accent. 彼得拉已完全没有德国口音。 Officers were unable to find any trace of drugs. 警察未能找到毒品的蛛丝马迹。disappear/vanish/sink without (a) trace (=disappear completely, without leaving any sign of what happened) 消失/隐没/沉没得无影无踪 The plane vanished without a trace. 飞机消失得无影无踪。2  small amount 小量 [countable]LITTLE/NOT MUCH a very small amount of a quality, emotion, substance etc that is difficult to see or notice 微量，少许trace of I saw the faintest trace of a smile cross Sandra’s face. 我看到桑德拉的脸上闪过一丝微笑。 traces of poison 微量毒物3  telephone 电话 [countable] technicalTCT a search to find out where a telephone call came from, using special electronic equipment 〔利用特殊电子设备对电话的〕追查，追踪 The police put a trace on the call. 警方对电话进行了追踪。4  information recorded 记录的信息 [countable]TEEMH technical the mark or pattern made on a screen or on paper by a machine that is recording an electrical signal 〔记录电信号的机器在屏幕或纸上作的〕描记线，描记图 This trace shows the heartbeat. 这条描记线显示心跳。5. cart/carriage 大车/马车 [countable]TTB one of the two pieces of leather, rope etc by which a cart or carriage is fastened to an animal pulling it 〔大车或马车上的〕挽绳 → kick over the traces at kick1(19)

Examples from the Corpus

trace• But this time she couldn't help feeling a trace, just a whisper of his elation.• Hans speaks English beautifully, without a trace of a foreign accent.• The thief was careful not to leave any trace of his activities.• It contains traces of people who are among the first to be photographed in city streets anywhere in the world.• The flattened rectangular section behind the neck contains traces of a large iron blade, possibly a double-edged dagger or short sword.• Many local people were very eager to get rid of the last traces of their town's shameful past.• Celestine was scraping the last traces from her bowl when Lufkin walked over to the cabinet holding his record collection.• The job involves tracking packages, running traces.• In 1928 and 1931, two large earthquakes in New Zealand produced strong traces on Seismographs throughout the world.• Early attempts - including putting a ping-pong ball inside a soap bar - sank without trace.no trace• Dagobert receives no entry in the dictionaries of saints and no trace of him is on public view at Stenay.• But they found no trace of the highly profitable illegal cargo that it was supposed to be carrying.• There is no trace of conceit, arrogance or class consciousness about her.• There is no result, no trace to mark what you have done.• Hillary Clinton she's not, but there was no trace of the frumpy babushka, below, from 1989.• Moon-Watcher looked across the valley to see if the Others were in sight, but there was no trace of them.• There was no trace of Silk.trace of• a trace of poisonOrigin trace1 (1200-1300) Old French tracier, from Vulgar Latin tractiare “to pull”, from Latin trahere trace2 1. (1200-1300) Old French tracier; → TRACE12. (1300-1400) Old French trais “traces”, plural of trait “pull, trace”; → TRAIT

trace1 verbtrace2 nounChinese  

find that disappeared or someone something has to Corpus

trace

I

trace¹ AC /treɪs/ verb [transitive]1.  FIND SOMEBODY/SOMETHING to find someone or something that has disappeared by searching for them carefully:
    She had given up all hope of tracing her missing daughter.
    Police are trying to trace a young woman who was seen near the accident.
2.  ORIGINS to find the origins of when something began or where it came from
    trace something (back) to something
    They’ve traced their ancestry to Scotland.
    The style of these paintings can be traced back to early medieval influences.
3.  HISTORY/DEVELOPMENT to study or describe the history, development, or progress of something:
    Sondheim’s book traces the changing nature of the relationship between men and women.
4.  COPY to copy a drawing, map etc by putting a piece of transparent paper over it and then drawing the lines you can see through the paper
5.  WITH YOUR FINGER to draw real or imaginary lines on the surface of something, usually with your finger or toe
    trace something on/in/across
    Rosie’s fingers traced a delicate pattern in the sand.
6. trace a call to find out where a telephone call is coming from by using special electronic equipment:
    His call was traced and half an hour later police arrested him.
—traceable adjective

II

trace² AC noun1.  SIGN OF SOMETHING  [uncountable and countable] a small sign that shows that someone or something was present or existed:
    There was no trace of anyone having entered the room since then.
    Petra’s lost all trace of her German accent.
    Officers were unable to find any trace of drugs.
    disappear/vanish/sink without (a) trace (=disappear completely, without leaving any sign of what happened)
    The plane vanished without a trace.
2.  SMALL AMOUNT  [countable] a very small amount of a quality, emotion, substance etc that is difficult to see or notice
    trace of
    I saw the faintest trace of a smile cross Sandra’s face.
    traces of poison
3.  TELEPHONE  [countable] technical a search to find out where a telephone call came from, using special electronic equipment:
    The police put a trace on the call.
4.  INFORMATION RECORDED  [countable] technical the mark or pattern made on a screen or on paper by a machine that is recording an electrical signal:
    This trace shows the heartbeat.
5.  CART/CARRIAGE  [countable] one of the two pieces of leather, rope etc by which a cart or carriage is fastened to an animal pulling it
⇨ kick over the traces at kick¹(19)