# tracking

Pronunciation: US say "TRAK-ing" /ˈtɹækɪŋ/; UK

## Noun

1. The act or process of following something to learn where it is or how it changes.
   - Simple: Following where something or someone goes, or how it changes over time.
   - _Wildlife tracking helped researchers map the herd's migration across the valley._
   - _Continuous tracking of the storm allowed forecasters to issue early warnings._
3. The practice of splitting students into separately taught groups according to their judged ability level.
   - Simple: Sorting students into separate groups for lessons based on their level.
   - _Critics argue that tracking limits opportunities for students placed in lower groups._
   - _The school replaced tracking with mixed-ability classrooms last year._
4. A uniform adjustment of the space between letters across a span of text; letterspacing.
   - Simple: Adding the same amount of space evenly between every letter in some text.
   - _Loose tracking gave the heading an airy, open feel._
   - _She tightened the tracking on the caption to fit it on one line._
5. The synchronization of two or more signals so that they stay aligned with one another.
   - Simple: Keeping two or more signals matched so they stay in step.
   - _Precise tracking between the reference and output signals reduced timing errors._
   - _Engineers tested the tracking of the two oscillators under heavy load._
6. In electrical engineering, the development of paths that conduct current across an insulator's surface, caused by electrical discharges.
   - Simple: Lines that can carry electricity, burned onto a surface that should not conduct it.
   - _Surface tracking left visible carbon trails across the insulator._
   - _Engineers inspected the bushing for signs of tracking after the fault._

## Verb

2. Present participle and gerund of track. — present participle and gerund of track
   - Simple: Present participle of track. Use this form for the ongoing action of following something.
   - _Scientists are tracking the satellite as it orbits the planet._
   - _The agency has been tracking changes in sea temperature for decades._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/tracking (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).