tracer
(trās′ər)
noun
- a person or thing that traces; specif.,
- a person whose work is tracing drawings, designs, etc. on transparent paper
- a person whose work is tracing lost or missing articles, persons, etc.
- an instrument for tracing designs on cloth, etc.
- ☆ an inquiry sent out for a letter, package, etc. that is missing in transport
- ammunition that traces its own course in the air with a trail of smoke or fire, so as to facilitate adjustment of the aim
- a substance, usually a radioactive isotope, used to follow a chemical process or a complex sequence of biochemical reactions (as in an animal body), to locate diseased cells and tissues, to determine physical properties, etc.
- a thread of contrasting color woven into or stamped on wire insulation for identification and for aid in tracing a circuit
See tracer in American Heritage Dictionary 4
nouna. One who is employed to locate missing goods or persons.
b. An investigation or inquiry organized to trace missing goods or persons.
- Any of several instruments used in making tracings or in imprinting designs by tracing.
- A tracer bullet.
- An identifiable substance, such as a dye or a radioactive isotope, that is introduced into a biological or mechanical system and can be followed through the course of a process, providing information on the pattern of events in the process or on the redistribution of the parts or elements involved. Also called label.
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