trace element

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ˈtrace ˌel•e•ment, n. [countable]

1. Biochemistry any element required in very small amounts for the proper functioning of the body.
2. Mineralogy a substance that occurs naturally only in very small amounts in the earth's crust.

Also called ˈtrace ˌmin•er•al. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

trace′ el′ement, [Biochem.]

1. any element that is required in minute quantities for physiological functioning. Also called trace mineral.

• 1935–40

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

trace element noun

1. any of various chemical elements, such as iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and iodine, that occur in very small amounts in organisms and are essential for many physiological and biochemical processes