All 36 Uses of

trace
in
Hoot

Glumly he checked for footprints and found not one. Mullet Fingers had fled without a trace.
p. 68.3

trace = leaving any indication that he had been there

In typical cases of juvenile vandalism, the crimes could be traced to a group of youngsters, each trying to outdo the other for thrills.
p. 77.9 *

traced = followed through investigation

When Curly told his wife of his overnight guard duties, she received the news with no trace of annoyance or concern.
p. 129.7

trace = indication (sign)

His father put the book aside and looked at Roy fondly, though with a trace of sadness. "Roy, they own the property. They can do pretty much whatever they please."
p. 156.1 *

trace = slight indication (a small amount showing)

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Uses with a meaning too rare to warrant foucs:

He preferred to read comics and mystery books on the morning ride to Trace Middle.
p. 1.2

trace = a name

Trace Middle School didn't have the world's strictest dress code, but Roy was pretty sure that some sort of footwear was required.
p. 2.0

Roy was an old pro at being the new kid; Trace Middle was the sixth school he had attended since he'd started going to school.
p. 9.3

Garrett was the king of phony farts at Trace Middle.
p. 10.1

Ironically, Garrett's mother was a guidance counselor at Trace Middle.
p. 10.2

"Except he didn't get on the bus, and he's not here at school," Roy said, "so I figured he must not go to Trace."
p. 10.8 *

"I don't know anyone who doesn't go to Trace," Garrett said.
p. 10.9

Classes at Graham High started fifty-five minutes earlier than the classes at Trace; the high school kids were off the streets long before the middle school buses finished their routes.
p. 11.6

So when the homeroom teacher at Trace Middle asked the new kid where he was from, he stood up and proudly said Bozeman, Montana.
p. 17.9

She was the vice-principal of Trace Middle, and it was in her dim office cubicle that Roy now sat, awaiting justice.
p. 18.3

"We don't appreciate sarcasm here at Trace Middle," said Miss Hennepin.
p. 18.6

The paramedics had checked him out on the golf course, and the school nurse at Trace Middle had spent forty-five minutes "observing" him for signs of a possible concussion.
p. 28.1

But Dana was nowhere to be seen at Trace Middle.
p. 37.5

Apparently Dana had three older brothers, none of whom was remembered fondly at Trace Middle.
p. 38.5

She was saying that Trace Middle had decided not to take disciplinary action against Dana Matherson because of his injuries.
p. 49.2

"I'm not scared," Roy said, "and I don't want to drop out of Trace Middle."
p. 58.9

The longer Dana had to stay away so his nose could recover from Roy's punch, the nastier he would be when he finally returned to Trace Middle.
p. 65.4

You go to Trace Middle, right?
p. 81.9

He suspected she had another motive for pestering the vice-principal–she was eager to resume her early-morning yoga sessions at the community college, which she couldn't attend as long as she was driving Roy to Trace Middle.
p. 86.7

99 If Roy told his parents about the Dana situation, they might be alarmed enough to withdraw him from Trace Middle.
p. 100.1

She had left Dana Matherson stripped down to his underpants and trussed to the flagpole in front of the administration building at Trace Middle School.
p. 111.4

Beatrice was pedaling the bicycle she'd taken from the rack at Trace Middle.
p. 127.5

This one was stolen from Trace Middle School earlier this afternoon, shortly after classes let out.
p. 134.9

The true reason that Garrett had called was, of course, to find out what had happened to Dana Matherson at Trace Middle.
p. 163.5

As the guidance counselor at Trace Middle School, Garrett's mother was notified whenever a student got into trouble with the law.
p. 198.6

The story identified him only as a student at Trace Middle and said that the police considered him a suspect in several recent vandalisms.
p. 215.0

None of the other Trace Middle kids had arrived yet, so Roy ran to Beatrice's house and waited on the front sidewalk.
p. 237.1

Is he a student here at Trace Middle?
p. 240.9

Later his father put Roy's bicycle in the trunk of his car and drove Roy to Trace Middle.
p. 251.7

He got another pleasant surprise when a van from the Trace Middle School Athletic Department rolled up and Beatrice's soccer teammates piled out, some of them carrying posters.
p. 259.9

The kids from Trace Middle stirred restlessly and looked toward Beatrice and Roy, who no longer had much of a plan.
p. 266.1

NBC and CBS sent film crews to Trace Middle School to meet with the student protesters, as well as with faculty members.
p. 284.3

Definitions:

(1) (trace as in: found a trace of)
a small quantity; or any indication or evidence of
The 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: trace the origin or development)
to find, search, research, or keep track of
This 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
(3) (trace as in: trace a picture or outline)
copy the lines of an image; or draw an outline; or carefully draw a specific pattern
This 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
(4) (trace as in: traced a path)
to follow
The 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
(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.

Page Numbers by Book Edition

trace in Hoot

trace
in
Hoot