All 5 Uses of
trace
in
The Secret Life of Bees
- This is the last thing I remember with perfect crispness—her breath floating down to me like a tiny parachute, collapsing without a trace among the piles of shoes.
p. 7..1 (definition 1)trace = indication or sign
- I found a paper bag in the attic stapled at the top. Inside it I found the last traces of my mother.
p. 13..7 (definition 1)traces = indications
- After he left, I didn't move except to trace the bars of light on the bed with my finger.
p. 39..9 (definition 2)trace = follow
- I reached out and traced black Mary's heart with my finger.
p. 164..8 (definition 2) *traced = followed
- There wasn't a trace of cunning in May, and you could depend on her not to overthink her answers.
p. 173..5 (definition 1) *trace = tiny amount
Definitions:
-
(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."
-
(2) (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