All 7 Uses of
trace
in
The Hunger Games
- My fingers trace the circle around the little gold mockingjay and I think of the woods, and of my father, and of my mother and Prim waking up, having to get on with things.
p. 54..9 (definition 1) *trace = follow along the outline of
- But that doesn't prevent me from feeling the sharp stab of pain as the needle inserts the metal tracking device deep under the skin on the inside of my forearm. Now the Gamemakers will always be able to trace my whereabouts in the arena.
p. 144..1 (definition 2) *trace = find or follow
- My fingers obsessively trace the hard little lump on my forearm where the woman injected the tracking device.
p. 146..6 (definition 1)trace = draw
- [The arrows] bear no trace of the noxious green slime that came from Glimmer's body—
p. 197..5 (definition 3)trace = small quantity or indication
- He sits there, uncomplaining, while I wash away all the traces of dirt from his hair and skin.
p. 255..1 (definition 3)traces = small bits
- "I think we'll start with your mouth."
I clamp my teeth together as she teasingly traces the outline of my lips with the tip of the blade.
p. 286..0 (definition 1)traces = draws
- Not only are the scars from the arena gone, but those accumulated over years of hunting have vanished without a trace.
p. 351..3 (definition 3) *trace = indication that they were ever there
Definitions:
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(1) (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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(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: 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."