1 trace sb/sth (to sth) to find out where sb/sth is by following marks, signs or other information: The wanted man was traced to an address in Amsterdam.

2 trace sth (back) (to sth) to find out where sth came from or what caused it; to describe the development of sth: She traced her family tree back to the 16th century.

3 to make a copy of a map, plan, etc by placing a piece of transparent paper (tracing paper)over it and drawing over the lines