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Clue vs. Trace — What's the Difference?

Clue vs. Trace — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Clue and Trace

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Clue

Something that serves to guide or direct in the solution of a problem or mystery.

Trace

Find or discover by investigation
Police are trying to trace a white van seen in the area

Clue

Variant of clew1.

Trace

Copy (a drawing, map, or design) by drawing over its lines on a superimposed piece of transparent paper
Trace a map of the world on to a large piece of paper

Clue

To give (someone) guiding information
Clue me in on what's happening around the office.
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Trace

A mark, object, or other indication of the existence or passing of something
Remove all traces of the old adhesive
The aircraft disappeared without trace

Clue

Variant of clew1.

Trace

A very small quantity, especially one too small to be accurately measured
His body contained traces of amphetamines
Trace quantities of PCBs

Clue

A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide.

Trace

A procedure to investigate the source of something, such as the place from which a telephone call was made
We've got a trace on the call

Clue

Information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion.
Give me a clue because the question is too vague.

Trace

A line which represents the projection of a curve or surface on a plane or the intersection of a curve or surface with a plane.

Clue

An object or a kind of indication which may be used as evidence.
The detectives were looking for some clues at the scene of the crime.

Trace

A path or track.

Clue

Insight or understanding ("to have a clue [about]" or "to have clue". See have a clue, clue stick)
I had little clue that I was being carefully monitored by the CCTV.

Trace

The sum of the elements in the principal diagonal of a square matrix.

Clue

To provide with a clue.
The crossword compiler wasn't sure how to clue the word "should".

Trace

Each of the two side straps, chains, or ropes by which a horse is attached to a vehicle that it is pulling.

Clue

To provide someone with information which he or she lacks (often used with "in" or "up").
Smith, clue Jones in on what's been happening.
You need to clue me what to do, I have no idea.

Trace

A visible mark, such as a footprint, made or left by the passage of a person, animal, or thing.

Clue

A ball of thread; a thread or other means of guidance. Same as Clew.
You have wound a goodly clue.
This clue once found unravels all the rest.
Serve as clues to guide us into further knowledge.

Trace

Evidence or an indication of the former presence or existence of something; a vestige
Left without a trace of having been there.

Clue

A slight indication

Trace

An extremely small amount or barely perceivable indication
Spoke with a trace of sarcasm.

Clue

Evidence that helps to solve a problem

Trace

A constituent, such as a chemical compound or element, present in quantities less than a standard limit.

Clue

Roll into a ball

Trace

A path or trail that has been beaten out by the passage of animals or people.

Trace

An act of researching or ascertaining the origin or location of something
Put a trace on the phone call.
Asked for a trace on a lost package.

Trace

A line drawn by a recording instrument, such as a cardiograph.

Trace

The point at which a line, or the curve in which a surface, intersects a coordinate plane.

Trace

The sum of the elements of the principal diagonal of a matrix.

Trace

An engram.

Trace

One of two side straps or chains connecting a harnessed draft animal to a vehicle or whiffletree.

Trace

A bar or rod, hinged at either end to another part, that transfers movement from one part of a machine to another.

Trace

To go along or follow (a path, for example)
We traced the trail up the mountain.

Trace

To follow the course or trail of
Trace a wounded deer.

Trace

To ascertain the successive stages in the development or progress of
Tracing the life cycle of an insect.
Trace the history of a family.

Trace

To discover or determine by searching or researching evidence
Trace the cause of a disease.

Trace

To locate or ascertain the origin of
Traced the money to a foreign bank account.

Trace

To draw (a line or figure); sketch; delineate.

Trace

To form (letters) with special concentration or care.

Trace

To copy by following lines seen through a sheet of transparent paper.

Trace

To follow closely (a prescribed pattern)
The skater traced a figure eight.

Trace

To imprint (a design) by pressure with an instrument on a superimposed pattern.

Trace

To make a design or series of markings on (a surface) by such pressure on a pattern.

Trace

To record (a variable), as on a graph.

Trace

To make one's way along a trail or course
We traced along the ridge.

Trace

To have origins; be traceable
Linguistic features that trace to West Africa.

Trace

Occurring in extremely small amounts or in quantities less than a standard limit.

Trace

An act of tracing.
Your cell phone company can put a trace on your line.

Trace

An enquiry sent out for a missing article, such as a letter or an express package.

Trace

A mark left as a sign of passage of a person or animal.

Trace

A residue of some substance or material.
There are traces of chocolate around your lips.

Trace

A very small amount.
All of our chocolates may contain traces of nuts.

Trace

(electronics) A current-carrying conductive pathway on a printed circuit board.

Trace

An informal road or prominent path in an arid area.

Trace

One of two straps, chains, or ropes of a harness, extending from the collar or breastplate to a whippletree attached to a vehicle or thing to be drawn; a tug.

Trace

(engineering) A connecting bar or rod, pivoted at each end to the end of another piece, for transmitting motion, especially from one plane to another; specifically, such a piece in an organ stop action to transmit motion from the trundle to the lever actuating the stop slider.

Trace

(fortification) The ground plan of a work or works.

Trace

(geometry) The intersection of a plane of projection, or an original plane, with a coordinate plane.

Trace

(mathematics) The sum of the diagonal elements of a square matrix.

Trace

(grammar) An empty category occupying a position in the syntactic structure from which something has been moved, used to explain constructions such as wh-movement and the passive.

Trace

(transitive) To follow the trail of.

Trace

To follow the history of.

Trace

(transitive) To draw or sketch lightly or with care.
He carefully traced the outlines of the old building before him.

Trace

(transitive) To copy onto a sheet of paper superimposed over the original, by drawing over its lines.

Trace

To copy; to imitate.

Trace

To walk; to go; to travel.

Trace

To walk over; to pass through; to traverse.

Trace

To follow the execution of the program by making it to stop after every instruction, or by making it print a message after every step.

Trace

One of two straps, chains, or ropes of a harness, extending from the collar or breastplate to a whiffletree attached to a vehicle or thing to be drawn; a tug.

Trace

A connecting bar or rod, pivoted at each end to the end of another piece, for transmitting motion, esp. from one plane to another; specif., such a piece in an organ-stop action to transmit motion from the trundle to the lever actuating the stop slider.

Trace

A mark left by anything passing; a track; a path; a course; a footprint; a vestige; as, the trace of a carriage or sled; the trace of a deer; a sinuous trace.

Trace

A very small quantity of an element or compound in a given substance, especially when so small that the amount is not quantitatively determined in an analysis; - hence, in stating an analysis, often contracted to tr.

Trace

A mark, impression, or visible appearance of anything left when the thing itself no longer exists; remains; token; vestige.
The shady empire shall retain no traceOf war or blood, but in the sylvan chase.

Trace

The intersection of a plane of projection, or an original plane, with a coordinate plane.

Trace

The ground plan of a work or works.

Trace

To mark out; to draw or delineate with marks; especially, to copy, as a drawing or engraving, by following the lines and marking them on a sheet superimposed, through which they appear; as, to trace a figure or an outline; a traced drawing.
Some faintly traced features or outline of the mother and the child, slowly lading into the twilight of the woods.

Trace

To follow by some mark that has been left by a person or thing which has preceded; to follow by footsteps, tracks, or tokens.
You may trace the deluge quite round the globe.
I feel thy power . . . to trace the waysOf highest agents.

Trace

Hence, to follow the trace or track of.
How all the way the prince on footpace traced.

Trace

To copy; to imitate.
That servile path thou nobly dost decline,Of tracing word, and line by line.

Trace

To walk over; to pass through; to traverse.
We do tracethis alley up and down.

Trace

To walk; to go; to travel.
Not wont on foot with heavy arms to trace.

Trace

A just detectable amount;
He speaks French with a trace of an accent

Trace

An indication that something has been present;
There wasn't a trace of evidence for the claim
A tincture of condescension

Trace

A suggestion of some quality;
There was a touch of sarcasm in his tone
He detected a ghost of a smile on her face

Trace

Drawing created by tracing

Trace

Either of two lines that connect a horse's harness to a wagon or other vehicle or to a whiffletree

Trace

A visible mark (as a footprint) left by the passage of person or animal or vehicle

Trace

Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something;
We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba
Trace the student's progress

Trace

Make a mark or lines on a surface;
Draw a line
Trace the outline of a figure in the sand

Trace

To go back over again;
We retraced the route we took last summer
Trace your path

Trace

Pursue or chase relentlessly;
The hunters traced the deer into the woods
The detectives hounded the suspect until they found the him

Trace

Discover traces of;
She traced the circumstances of her birth

Trace

Make one's course or travel along a path; travel or pass over, around, or along;
The children traced along the edge of the drak forest
The women traced the pasture

Trace

Copy by following the lines of the original drawing on a transparent sheet placed upon it; make a tracing of;
Trace a design
Trace a pattern

Trace

Read with difficulty;
Can you decipher this letter?
The archeologist traced the hieroglyphs

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