tracing

• Nom désignant l'action de copier un dessin, une carte ou un motif en suivant ses lignes sur une feuille transparente posée par-dessus, ou le processus de suivi ou de relevé de quelque chose.

A noun referring to the act or result of copying a drawing, map, or design by following its lines on a transparent sheet placed over it, or the process of tracking something.

1. B1formal

   A copy of a drawing, map, or design made by tracing it onto a transparent sheet.

   calque

   • The architect made a tracing of the original blueprint.
   • She used tracing paper to create an exact tracing of the map.
   • The artist kept the tracing as a reference for the final painting.

   Synonymescopyduplicatereproductiontracetransparency

2. Investigation or searchB2formal

   The act of investigating or searching for the origin or development of something.

   recherche des origines

   • The police are tracing the source of the illegal funds.
   • The tracing of the disease's spread took several months.
   • Historians are tracing the origins of the ancient manuscript.

   Synonymesdetectionexplorationhuntinquiryinvestigationprobepursuitresearchsearchtracking

• Verbe utilisé pour désigner l'action de suivre, détecter ou délimiter le cours, l'origine ou le développement de quelque chose, ou de le copier en suivant ses contours.

A verb used to indicate the act of following, discovering, or outlining the course, origin, or development of something.

1. Find or discoverB1formal

   To find someone or something that has disappeared or been lost.

   retrouver, dépister

   • The police traced the missing child to a nearby town.
   • They traced the source of the leak to a faulty pipe.
   • She traced her family roots back to the 18th century.

   Synonymesdiscoverfindhunt downlocatetrack downunearth

   Antonymesforgetlosemisplacemissoverlook

2. Copy or drawA2formal

   To copy a drawing, pattern, or outline by drawing over it on a transparent sheet.

   calquer ou décalquer

   • He traced the map onto a piece of tracing paper.
   • The child traced the letters of the alphabet.
   • She traced the outline of the flower with a pencil.

   Synonymescopydraftdrawduplicateoutlinereproducesketch

3. Follow the courseB2formal

   To follow the path or development of something over time.

   Suivre la trace

   • The historian traced the evolution of democracy.
   • We can trace the river's course on this map.
   • The study traces the changes in climate over the last century.

   Synonymeschartdelineatefollowmapoutlinetrack