轨迹 guǐjì locus
locus; orbit; trajectory; track
How to remember 轨迹: 轨 track + 迹 trace = locus.
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How it is used
- Trajectory / track - the path traced by a moving thing, literal or figurative - 导弹的运行轨迹 (dǎodàn de yùnxíng guǐjì) the missile's flight path.
- Very common figuratively: 人生轨迹 (rénshēng guǐjì) the course/arc of one's life; 发展轨迹 developmental path.
- In math it's the "locus." Focuses on the shape/pattern of a path over time, more abstract than 路线 (a planned route).