1. past tense of trace; to follow or discover the course or development of something
2. past tense of trace; to copy a drawing or design by following its lines on a transparent sheet placed over it
3. past tense of trace; to draw or mark the outline of something

Examples

• The detective traced the suspect’s movements through the city.
• Scientists traced the origin of the disease to contaminated water.
• She traced the butterfly drawing onto her notebook paper.
• The child traced around his hand with a crayon.
• Researchers traced the family’s ancestry back five generations.
• He traced the route on the map with his finger.
• The artist traced the photograph to create a detailed sketch.