All 11 Uses of
trace
in
Harry Potter (#4) and the Goblet of Fire
- "I am a faithful servant," said Wormtail, the merest trace of sullenness in his voice.†
Chpt 1
- Harry felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness.†
Chpt 15 *
- A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.†
Chpt 16
- Maybe someone's hoping Potter is going to die for it," said Moody, with the merest trace of a growl.†
Chpt 17
- "Yeah?" said Ron, and there was no trace of a grin, forced or otherwise, on his face now.†
Chpt 17
- "Angelina," said Fred promptly, without a trace of embarrassment.†
Chpt 22 *
- And then she left the cousin's house to go south and see an aunt…. and she seems to have vanished without trace en route.†
Chpt 24
- "That's what my dad said at the World Cup," said Ron, with a trace of irritation in his voice.†
Chpt 27
- Bertha Jorkins has vanished without a trace in the place where Voldemort was certainly known to be last.†
Chpt 30
- His mother left upon him the traces other sacrifice…… This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it… but no matter.†
Chpt 33
- "Then good luck," said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.†
Chpt 36
Definitions:
-
(trace as in: trace the origin or development) to find, search, research, or keep track ofThis sense of trace usually has to do with information. It's specific meaning depends on its context. For example:
to find or search for something through investigation -- often the origin of something:
- "The police traced the call." -- found out where it originated
- "We are tracing the lost luggage" -- searching for
- "Can you trace the problem to its source?" -- find through investigation
- "She traced her family history to discover that her great-grandmother came to the United States from Lithuania when the Nazis occupied it." -- discovered something through investigation
to research or report on the development of something
- "She traced the history of the automobile in her paper." -- researched the development of something
- "Her presentation traced recent progress in alternative energy solutions." -- reported on
to monitor or keep track of the progress or development of something
- "She traces the progress of at-risk students." -- monitors information
- "I used binoculars to trace her progress up the mountain." -- monitor, follow, or track
-
(trace as in: found a trace of) a small quantity; or any indication or evidence ofThe exact meaning of this sense of trace depends upon its context. For example:
- a small indication that something was present -- as in "The plane disappeared somewhere over the Pacific Ocean without leaving a trace."
- a very small amount of something -- as in "The blood test showed a trace of steroids."
- any evidence of something -- as in "We did not find a trace of the gene."