All 12 Uses
trace
in
The Kite Runner
(Edited)
- The finger then floats to Hassan's face and makes a dry, scratchy sound as it slowly traces the curve of his cheeks, the outline of his ears.
p. 74.3traces = follows
- I traced my fingers along the gold-colored stitching on the borders.
p. 99.9traced = followed
- "Then congratulations, you are already halfway to being a man," he said with no trace of humor, no irony, the compliment of the casually arrogant.
p. 140.5trace = indication or sign
- I traced my fingers along the gold— stitched borders.
p. 172.7traced = followed
- We all knew his father, I know who his grandfather was in Kabul and his great-grandfather before him, I could sit here and trace generations of his ancestors for you if you asked.
p. 187.9trace = follow the origins
- I lay in the dark the night Rahim Khan called and traced with my eyes the parallel silver lines on the wall made by moonlight pouring through the blinds.
p. 194.1traced = followed
- My hair was receding and streaked with gray, and lately I'd traced little crow's-feet etched around the corners of my eyes.
p. 227.3
- I traced the curve of each letter with my fingers.
p. 264.7
- He just held it in both hands, traced his thumb over its surface.
p. 318.2traced = dragged
- "Me neither," he said, his eyes tracing the bird's circular flight.
p. 321.8 *tracing = following
- "I'm sorry, the cabbies in this town are sharks," he said in perfect English, without a trace of an accent.
p. 335.1 *trace = small quantity or indication
- I traced the string to a kid standing about thirty yards from us.
p. 369.3 *traced = followed (to find the origin)
Definitions:
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(1)
(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."
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(2)
(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
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(3)
(trace as in: trace a picture or outline) copy the lines of an image; or draw an outline; or carefully draw a specific patternThis sense of trace has to do with drawing, but it's specific meaning depends on its context. For example:
copying the outline of an image
- "She used tracing paper to make a copy." -- paper you can see through, so that when it is placed on a picture, you can use a pencil to follow the lines of the image being copied
- "She projected the image onto the wall, hung a sheet of paper there, and traced the projected image onto the paper." -- followed the lines with her pencil
draw an outline or a specific pattern
- "She used her toe to trace half the fish symbol in the sand." -- draw a simple outline
- "The child used a stick to trace circles and swirls in the mud." -- draw
- "She used her finger to trace his name in the sand." -- draw
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(4)
(trace as in: traced a path) to followThe exact meaning of this sense of trace depends upon its context. For example:
- "The hunters traced the deer into the woods." -- followed or tracked
- "With soft kisses, she gently traced the scar running down his cheek." -- followed
- "The path traces along the edge of the forest." -- follows
- "A single tear traced its way down her cheek." -- followed a specific path
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(5)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) See a comprehensive dictionary for specialized meanings of trace in mathematics, medicine, engineering and other areas.