I. ˈtrāsə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: trace (II) + -er
1. : one that traces, tracks down, or searches out: as
a. : seeker b
b. : a person professionally engaged in the tracing of missing persons or property and especially of goods lost in transit
c. : a form or inquiry sent out to facilitate the tracing of an article or shipment lost in transit
2. : one that makes tracings or traceries: as
a. : a draftsman, gilder, stainer, or other worker that traces designs, patterns, or markings
b. : one that traces (as drawings) on semitransparent paper or cloth especially for blueprint reproduction — compare tracing cloth , tracing paper
3. : a device (as a stylus) used in tracing a design or other matter: as
a. : tracing wheel
b. : a tempered steel punch used in chasing or repoussé work on metal (as when cutting the outline of a design or when making and finishing corners or borders)
4.
a. or tracer ammunition : ammunition containing a chemical composition to mark the flight of projectiles by a trail of smoke or fire
b. : a substance (as a fluorescent dye) used to trace the course of a process ; specifically : a labeled element or atom that can be traced throughout chemical, biological, or physical processes by its radioactivity or its unusual isotopic mass
radioactive tracers administered to patients accumulate in tumors and other pathological tissue, where they can be detected
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: trace (III) + -er
: trace horse