whodunit
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Alternative forms
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
whodunit (plural whodunits)
- A novel or drama concerning a crime (usually a murder) in which a detective follows clues to determine the perpetrator.
- 1946, Josephina Niggli. Pointers on radio writing (Boston: The Writer, Inc.) page 25
- Actually, an whodunit is a mystery story. The hero is generally a detective, although sometimes he is a gentleman (apparently a mild mannered worm) who sallies forth at night to become Public Enemy No. One of Crime. Otherwise the formula is exactly the same as that of the Cliff-hanger and follows the same rules.
- 1946, Josephina Niggli. Pointers on radio writing (Boston: The Writer, Inc.) page 25
[edit] Synonyms
(A fictional story of a crime which a detective solves): detective novel, detective story, mystery story
[edit] Hypernyms
(A fictional story of a crime which a detective solves): thriller
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
a crime novel or drama
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