spoor

Etymology

Early 19th century, from Afrikaans spoor, from Dutch spoor (“track”). Akin to Old English and Old Norse spor (whence Danish spor), and German Spur, all from Proto-Germanic *spurą. Compare spurn.

noun

1. The track, trail, droppings or scent of an animal.
   Now he has picked up the spoor of drunken vomit and there is the doll sprawled against a wall, his pants streaked with urine. 1971, William S. Burroughs, The Wild Boys: A Book of the Dead, page 10
   From the spoor, skilled trackers can deduce an individual's age, sex, physical condition, speed, and fatigue level, as well as the time of day it passed by. 2016, Joseph Henrich, chapter 5, in The Secret of Our Success[…], Princeton: Princeton University Press

verb

1. (transitive) To track an animal by following its spoor