noun / verb
sleuth
SLOOTH/sluːθ/
A person who searches for clues, or the act of doing so.
The sleuth examines muddy footprints beside the forced-open jewelry case.
Etymology
A sleuth was originally a “track or trail,” preserved in sleuth-hound, a bloodhound. The detective sense likely comes from shortening that name after its figurative use for a keen, relentless investigator.
In context
when the sleuth showed him the proof, the matching fingerprints, the timeline, the motive, the officer's expression shifted from doubt to shock. Together, they revisited the evidence
More examples
- She sleuths through public records to trace her family's history.
- A little sleuthing revealed who had sent the anonymous gift.
- The two sleuths compared notes after interviewing the witnesses.
Forms
sleuth · sleuths · sleuthed · sleuthing
Similar words
- detective
- Usually refers to someone whose job is solving crimes.
- investigator
- Covers formal inquiries beyond crimes, including accidents and misconduct.
- investigate
- Names the act of examining facts to discover what happened.