Standard Lemma guide

tracer

noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈtɹeɪsə(ɹ)/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [ˈtʃɹeɪsə(ɹ)]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈtɹeɪsɚ/
  • General-American: [ˈtʃɹeɪsɚ]
  • rhymes with -eɪsə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: T R EY1 S ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A compound, element, or isotope used to track the progress or history of a natural process.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A round of ammunition for a firearm that contains magnesium or another flammable substance arranged such that it will burn and produce a visible trail when fired in the dark.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tracer ammunition, tracer bullet

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act or state of tracking or investigating something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A request to trace the movements of a person or an object, such as a shipment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A person who traces something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A device or instrument used to assist in making tracings.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A process that traces something, such as the path of execution of a program during debugging.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

ammunition whose flight can be observed by a trail of smoke

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tracer bullet

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ammunition, ammo

9

noun

Meaning 9

(radiology) any radioactive isotope introduced into the body to study metabolism or other biological processes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: radioisotope

10

noun

Meaning 10

an instrument used to make tracings

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: instrument

11

noun

Meaning 11

an investigator who is employed to find missing persons or missing goods

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: detective, investigator, tec, police detective

History

Etymology

From trace + -er.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: белязан атом — A chemical used to track the progress or history of a natural process
  • Finnish: markkeri — A chemical used to track the progress or history of a natural process
  • Finnish: merkkiaine — A chemical used to track the progress or history of a natural process
  • French: marqueur — A chemical used to track the progress or history of a natural process
  • Arabic: دخيرة خطّاطة — A piece of ammunition for a firearm that contains magnesium or another flammable substance
  • Bulgarian: трасиращ куршум (trasirašt kuršum) — A piece of ammunition for a firearm that contains magnesium or another flammable substance
  • Dutch: tracer — A piece of ammunition for a firearm that contains magnesium or another flammable substance
  • Dutch: lichtspoormunitie — A piece of ammunition for a firearm that contains magnesium or another flammable substance
  • Finnish: valojuova-ammus — A piece of ammunition for a firearm that contains magnesium or another flammable substance
  • Finnish: valojuovaluoti — A piece of ammunition for a firearm that contains magnesium or another flammable substance
  • German: Leuchtspurmunition — A piece of ammunition for a firearm that contains magnesium or another flammable substance
  • Hungarian: fényjelző lőszer — A piece of ammunition for a firearm that contains magnesium or another flammable substance
  • Korean: 예광탄 (yegwangtan) — A piece of ammunition for a firearm that contains magnesium or another flammable substance
  • Finnish: jäljittäjä — A person who traces something
  • Irish: rianaí — A person who traces something