contact trace
verb
contact traced; contact tracing; contact traces
: to identify, notify, and monitor individuals who may have had close contact with a person having a confirmed or probable case of infectious disease : to engage in the practice of contact tracing
How well a college contact traces, places infected students in isolation, disseminates a steady stream of messaging to students about following safety practices and punishes offenders all have an impact on how much the virus spreads, [Gonzalo] Bearman said.—Eric Kolenich
Campbell County Public Health … also contact traces for diseases like measles and whooping cough, where a dozen cases qualifies as an outbreak.—Johnathan Gallardo and Mike Moore
Yet the only way we'll all win is if we'll do everything possible between now and then—wear a mask, wash our hands, socially distance, contact trace—to put this coronavirus permanently in our rearview mirror in order to return to our old normal every hour of every day.—Mark Wiedmer
: to identify and notify (someone) through contact tracing
Unfortunately, over the course of the following days, three of my friends … tested positive for COVID-19, and I was suddenly contact traced …—Sophie Mackin
Cite this Entry
“Contact trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contact%20trace. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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