trace
verb- trace somebody/something (to something)
to find or discover somebody/something by looking carefully for them/it synonym track down查出;找到;发现;追踪 We finally traced him to an address in Chicago. 我们终于追查到他在芝加哥的一个地址。 I have been unable to trace the letter you mentioned. 我一直无法找到你提到的那封信。
Extra ExamplesTopics Crime and punishmentb2The stolen paintings have been successfully traced to a London warehouse. 失窃的画已成功地在伦敦的一个仓库中找到。 Police are anxious to trace the owners of a car parked near the scene. 警方急于找到停在现场附近的一辆汽车的车主。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- successfully
- be able to
- be unable to
- can
- …
- to
- trace something (back) (to something)
to find the origin or cause of something 追溯;追究 She could trace her family tree back to the 16th century. 她能把本族家谱追溯到 16 世纪。 The leak was eventually traced to a broken seal. 最后查出泄漏是由于密封处破裂所致。 The police traced the call (= used special electronic equipment to find out who made the phone call) to her ex-husband's number. 警方用追踪装置查出是她前夫的电话号码打出的电话。
Extra ExamplesTopics Phones, email and the internetb2, Family and relationshipsb2The origins of the custom are difficult to trace. 很难追溯这种风俗的起源。 Words have over the centuries acquired meanings not easily traced in dictionaries. 经过了数百年,词语的有些含义在词典里已难以查到来源。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- easily
- directly
- …
- can
- attempt to
- try to
- …
- to
- trace something (from something) (to something)
to describe a process or the development of something 描绘(事物的过程或发展);追述;记述 - trace something (out)
to draw a line or lines on a surface 画(线) Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- gently
- lightly
- slowly
- …
- with
- trace something
to follow the shape or outline of something 绘出,勾画出(轮廓) He traced the route on the map. 他在地图上勾画出了路线。 A tear traced a path down her cheek. 一滴眼泪沿着她的面颊流了下来。 She lightly traced the outline of his face with her finger. 她轻轻地用手指去感觉他脸的轮廓。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- gently
- lightly
- slowly
- …
- with
- trace something
to copy a map, drawing, etc. by drawing on tracing paper (= paper that you can see through) placed over it (用透明纸覆盖在地图、绘画等上)复制,描摹 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- gently
- lightly
- slowly
- …
- with
Word Originverb Middle English (first recorded as a noun in the sense ‘path that someone or something takes’): from Old French trace (noun), tracier (verb), based on Latin tractus ‘drawing, draught’, from trahere ‘draw, pull’.