Trace

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /tɹeɪs/

Definitions

1. A visible mark or evidence of something that has existed or occurred
2. A faint indication that suggests the past existence or presence of something can also refer to a small mark left behind as evidence of action or occurrence
3. An indication or mark that signifies the previous existence or movement of something can also denote a small remnant left as proof of an action or event

Etymology: The word "trace" has a surprisingly tangled ancestry, with two Old French verbs feeding into one English form. One was "tracer," meaning to delineate, score, or draw lines, which descends from Latin "trahere," "to draw." The other, "traquer," meant to chase, hunt, or pursue, and it came from a Middle Dutch word for a drawing or expedition. The two verbs seem to have merged in medieval French, so the English word carries both the sense of a drawn line and the sense of a path followed. That double inheritance explains the modern meanings. The noun passed from Old French "trace," which meant an outline or track, so the idea of a faint mark left behind comes straight from the drawing side. A trace of perfume or a trace of a disease keeps that notion of a leftover impression, while the hunting side survives in the sense of following a trail to find someone or something.

Synonyms: follow, track, outline, sketch, detect

Antonyms: lose, ignore, neglect, disregard, abandon