noun
clew
KLOO/klu/
A piece of evidence that helps solve a problem or mystery.
The muddy pawprints provide a clew to who toppled the houseplant.
Etymology
A ball of thread became an image for guidance through Ariadne’s thread, which led Theseus out of the Labyrinth. From that image, clew came to mean evidence that points toward a solution.
In context
we made an examination of the vicinity, without, however, discovering anything else to furnish us with a clew.
More examples
- One overlooked clew led the investigator to the hidden room.
- The narrator follows every clew in search of an explanation.
- A penciled date supplied the final clew.
Forms
clew · clews
Similar words
- clue
- The usual modern spelling for this evidence sense.