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tracing

noun

Simple meaning

A drawing created by superimposing a semitransparent sheet of paper on the original image and copying on it the lines of the original image.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

traysing

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈtɹeɪsɪŋ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. A drawing created by superimposing a semitransparent sheet of paper on the original image and copying on it the lines of the original image

  2. The reproduction of an image made by copying it through translucent paper.

  3. A record in the form of a graph made by a device such as a seismograph.

  4. The process of finding something that is lost by studying evidence.

  5. A regular path or track; a course.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Varies by meaning

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: A drawing created by superimposing a semitransparent sheet of paper on the original image and copying on it the lines of the original image

Used this way, tracing is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Matter-of-fact
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use tracing

  • “The detective began tracing the suspect's phone calls to find clues.”noun

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

tracing paperray tracingcontact tracingpressure tracing

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • traceverbBase word

    Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • tracernounPerson or profession

    An investigator who is employed to find missing persons or missing goods.

  • traceableadjectiveDerived adjective

    Capable of being traced or tracked.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • tracing papernounCompound term

    A semitransparent paper that is used for tracing drawings.

  • tracing routinenounCompound term

    A routine that provides a chronological record of the execution of a computer program.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.