traces
Barely there amounts
Traces are small amounts left behind—marks, signs, or evidence that something existed or passed through.
A detective finds traces of blood; a scientist detects traces of chemicals.
To trace is to follow such signs back to their source, or to copy by drawing over: She traced the outline onto tracing paper.
Traces also refers to the straps connecting a draft animal to its harness; to kick over the traces is to rebel against restraint.
Matter left behind
- remainsContinues in place
- leftoversUneaten food kept afterward
- fragmentsIncomplete broken pieces
- scrapsSmall remaining pieces
shreds · debris · dregs · ashes · vestiges · relics · survival · aftermath
Ridge patterns identifying individuals
- DNAHereditary code molecule
- forensicsScientific crime-scene analysis
- proofDemonstration of truth
- ballisticsProjectile motion science
bloodstain · fibers · residue · swab · corroborate · incriminate · exonerate · material
Matter left behind
- compoundCombined into one
- elementBasic substance or factor
- contaminantSubstance that pollutes
- isotopeElemental variant by mass
marker · signature · concentration · detection · analysis · sample · mineral · substance
Professional crime investigator
- investigationFormal examination of facts
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- sleuthPrivate investigator
- whodunitCrime fiction identifying perpetrator
puzzle · deduction · lead · trail · breadcrumb · hint · sign · indication
Mark from applied pressure
- shoeprintMark left by footwear
- bootprintMark from heavy footwear
- pawprintAnimal foot impression
- hoofprintImpression from ungulate foot
tread · indentation · impression · marking · sole · print · mud · sand
Path through wilderness
- routePath from A to B
- coursePlanned path forward
- trajectoryPath of moving object
- lineContinuous mark or queue
passage · movement · direction · journey · wandering · migration · followed · backtracked
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- digUnearth by shoveling
- siteDesignated location
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
prehistoric · settlements · ruins · tomb · relics · tools · pottery · habitation
Study of ancient organisms
- dinosaurExtinct Mesozoic reptile
- imprintMark from applied pressure
- petrificationBecoming rock-like
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
mineralization · amber · skeleton · prehistoric · Jurassic · preserved · ancient · organism
residue
Matter left behind
scraps · shreds · debris · dregs · ashes · vestiges · relics · survival · aftermath · leavings
fingerprints
Ridge patterns identifying individuals
ballistics · bloodstain · fibers · residue · swab · corroborate · incriminate · exonerate · material · probative
residue
Matter left behind
- compoundCombined into one
- elementBasic substance or factor
- contaminantSubstance that pollutes
isotope · marker · signature · concentration · detection · analysis · sample · mineral · substance · impurity
detective
Professional crime investigator
- investigationFormal examination of facts
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- sleuthPrivate investigator
whodunit · puzzle · deduction · lead · trail · breadcrumb · hint · sign · indication · suspicion
imprint
Mark from applied pressure
hoofprint · tread · indentation · impression · marking · sole · print · mud · sand · snow
trail
Path through wilderness
- routePath from A to B
- coursePlanned path forward
- trajectoryPath of moving object
line · passage · movement · direction · journey · wandering · migration · followed · backtracked · crossed
excavation
Act of unearthing
stratigraphy · prehistoric · settlements · ruins · tomb · relics · tools · pottery · habitation · ancient
paleontology
Study of ancient organisms
- dinosaurExtinct Mesozoic reptile
- imprintMark from applied pressure
- petrificationBecoming rock-like
sediment · mineralization · amber · skeleton · prehistoric · Jurassic · preserved · ancient · organism · geological
- evidenceevidence, evidence bag, circumstantial evidence, proof, admissible
- bitsbits, morsels, tidbits, snippets, scraps
- scrapsbits, scraps, remnants, shards, trimmings
- vestigesremnants, relics, ruins, fossils, fragments
- remnants of the pastrelics, ruins, fossils, vestiges, artifacts
- Chomsky linguisticsuniversal grammar, merge, move, minimalist program, Noam Chomsky
tracesproof
Demonstration of truth
evidence · confirmation · certainty · smoking gun · demonstration
- on trackProgressing as intended
- lost trackFailed to monitor
- lose trackFail to monitor continuously
- keep trackMaintain awareness of
- track downFind through persistent effort
- losing trackFailing to monitor
track, trace, traced, tracing, retrace, trace italienne, traceable, tracer, retracing