tracking
TRAK-ing
/ˈtrækɪŋ/
The act of following the progress, movement, or development of something, especially a package or shipment.
In shipping, it refers to the real-time monitoring of a package's location using digital scans and barcodes.
The story behind the word. Tracking comes from the Old French 'trac', meaning 'a path or track left by horses or game', which is likely of Germanic origin. It originally referred to hunters following the physical footprints of animals in the forest, a concept we have digitized to follow packages across the globe.
Word relationships
- monitoring: Monitoring is a broader term for observing a situation over time, while tracking specifically implies following a path or movement.
- tracing: Tracing often implies looking backward to find the origin of something, whereas tracking is following its active forward progress.
Commonly confused with
- tacking: Tacking is a sailing maneuver or the act of temporarily sewing fabric, which is completely unrelated to following a path.
Word family
- track (verb): To follow the path or progress of something.
- tracker (noun): A device or person that tracks.
Collocations
- tracking number
- real-time tracking
- package tracking
- tracking system
Idioms & expressions
- keep track of
- lose track of
Example sentences
- "I entered the tracking number on the website to see if my package had arrived at the local facility." Online shopping
- "Scientists use satellite tracking to study the migration patterns of sea turtles across the ocean." Wildlife monitoring
Memory hook
You use a 'tracking' number to follow the 'tracks' of your package on a map. Tracking: Following the tracks of a package.
When not to use
Do not use when referring to simply looking for a lost item in a single room without a system of records.
Fun facts
- The first barcode scan on a commercial product occurred in 1974 on a pack of Wrigley's chewing gum, paving the way for modern automated tracking systems.
Explore more words
track, traceability, fulfillment, lead time, barcode, proof of purchase
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.