All 24 Uses of
trace
in
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
- Creamy white vernix whorled in her delicate skin, and she was slippery with amniotic fluid and traces of blood.
p. 16.7traces = indications or small quantities
- He wanted to reach out and trace the delicate curved bones of her ribs; he wanted to kiss her at the point the bones met, stretching away like wings.
p. 114.4 *trace = track or follow (with his finger)
- David traced the light-filled image with his fingertips.
p. 152.9traced = followed
- Paul traced his finger along the edge of the cast.
p. 155.2
- He thought of Norah, who had become a self-sufficient and powerful woman, who courted corporate accounts with glittery assurance and came in from dinners smelling of wine and rain, traces of laughter, triumph, and success still on her face.
p. 258.5traces = indications or small quantities
- Then Sam had traced the shaft of variegated light on her thigh with his finger, and slowly she'd felt her own sharp edges begin to soften, to blur, her emotions bleeding one into another in mysterious sequence, from darkest indigo to gold, reluctance transforming, mysteriously, to desire.
p. 294.3traced = followed
- The car he'd stolen had been found deserted on a side street in Louisville last night, but there had been no trace of Paul.
p. 294.7 *trace = indication or sign
- He was a sturdy boy, five years old now, cheerful and good-natured, with dark brown eyes and traces of red in his blond hair.
p. 309.6traces = indications or small quantities
- Veins, pale blue, traced just below the surface of her skin.
p. 399.0traced = followed
- Phoebe traced her fingers over the names and dates engraved in the dark granite.
p. 399.9
- Doro was leaving on a year-long cruise around the world with her lover, a man named Trace.†
p. 223.4
- Trace was just behind her, carrying a bag of ice.†
p. 223.6
- Trace had been an Olympic swimmer once, had almost won a bronze medal, and he thought nothing, still, of diving into the Monongahela and swimming to the opposite shore.†
p. 223.7
- Trace was kind and good to Doro, who clearly adored him, and if he seemed aloof to Caroline, a bit distant and reserved, it really wasn't any of her business.†
p. 223.9
- "Al's like those old mariners," Trace said, putting the ice on the table.†
p. 224.1
- For me and Trace.†
p. 224.7
- Trace, wind pushing his gray hair into his face, cupped a match in his hand, trying to light the candles.†
p. 225.2
- Doro and Trace lingered after the last guests had left, carrying trays of cups and leftover cake, vases of flowers, putting tables and chairs away in the garage.†
p. 225.5
- She nodded to the house where Al and Trace were working in the bright kitchen, scraping plates.†
p. 225.8
- The screen door swung open and Trace stepped out.†
p. 226.4
- Headlights poured down the hill, and then the rental car was slowing and Trace's long arm was lifting in a wave.†
p. 226.8
- If they come back, she and Trace will get a condo or something.†
p. 227.9
- What it'll be like for us when we retire, like Doro and Trace.†
p. 229.3
- Trace sprained his ankle in Paris.†
p. 349.0
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: 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
-
(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.