clue

English

Etymology

Variant of clew (“a ball of thread or yarn”), from Middle English clewe, from Old English clēowen, clīewen (“sphere, ball, skein; ball of thread or yarn; mass, group”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwīną, *klewô (“ball, bale”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew-, *gelew- (“to amass, conglomerate; clump, ball, bale”). Sense evolution with reference to the one which the mythical Theseus used to guide him out of the Minotaur's labyrinth. More at clew.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kluː/
• Rhymes: -uː
• Homophone: clew

Noun

clue (plural clues)

1. (now rare) A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide.
   • 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:

     she had even had in the past a small smug conviction that in the domestic labyrinth she always kept the clue.

2. Information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion.
3. An object or a kind of indication which may be used as evidence.
4. (slang) Insight or understanding ("to have a clue [about]" or "to have clue". See have a clue, clue stick)

Synonyms

• (information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion): hint, indication, suggestion
• (object or indication which may be used as evidence): signature

Derived terms

Terms derived from the noun "clue"

Cluedo clueless

cluestick / clue stick cluey

have a clue not have a clue

Translations

information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion

• Bulgarian: указание (bg) (ukazanie) n
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 線索 (cmn), 线索 (cmn) (xiànsuǒ)

• Czech: klíč (cs) m, vodítko (cs) n, nápověda (cs) f
• Danish: spor (da) n, holdepunkt (da) n, fingerpeg (da) n, nøgle (da) c
• Finnish: johtolanka (fi), vihje (fi)
• French: indice (fr) f
• German: Anhaltspunkt (de) m, Hinweis (de) m
• Hebrew: רמז (he) (remez) m

• Italian: indizio (it) m, pista (it) f
• Japanese: 手がかり (ja) (てがかり, tegakari), 切っ掛け (ja) (きっかけ, kikkake), きっかけ (ja) (kikkake)
• Maori: tiwhiri (mi)
• Portuguese: indício (pt) m, sugestão (pt) f, pista (pt) f
• Russian: ключ (ru) (ključ) m, нить (ru) (nitʹ) f, след (ru) (sled) m, указатель (ru) (ukazátelʹ) m
• Scottish Gaelic: gliocas (gd) m
• Spanish: pista (es) f, indicio (es) m

object or marking that may be used in evidence

• Bulgarian: улика (bg) (ulika) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 證據 (cmn), 证据 (cmn) (zhèngjǜ)

• Danish: spor (da) n
• Esperanto: indico (eo)
• Finnish: johtolanka (fi), näyttö (fi), todiste (fi)

• French: preuve (fr) f
• German: Indiz (de) n
• Italian: prova (it) f
• Latin: indicium (la) n
• Russian: улика (ru) (ulíka) f
• Spanish: indicio (es) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Ido: guid-signo; indico; indikajo
• Korean: 실마리 (silmari)

See also

• evidence
• red herring

Verb

clue (third-person singular simple present clues, present participle cluing or clueing, simple past and past participle clued)

1. To provide with a clue (often used with "in" or "up").

   The crossword compiler wasn't sure how to clue the word "should".

2. To provide someone with information which he or she lacks.

   Smith, clue Jones in on what's been happening.

Derived terms

• clued-in
• clued-up

Translations

to provide with a clue

to provide with information

• French: informer (fr)

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Latin

Verb

cluē

1. second-person singular present active imperative of clueō