Both Uses of
trace
in
The Color Purple
- Mr. _ _ _ blow smoke, look down at him, and say, Yeah, I see now she going to switch the traces on you.†
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- She traced the patterns with her finger, and slowly her eyes filled with tears.†
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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) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
See a comprehensive dictionary for specialized meanings of trace in mathematics, medicine, engineering and other areas.