sleuth
Americannoun
-
a detective.
- Synonyms:
- shamus, gumshoe, private eye, private investigator, investigator
-
a bloodhound, a dog used for tracking.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
-
an informal word for detective
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short for sleuthhound
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sleuth
First recorded in 1875–80; short for sleuthhound
Explanation
Sleuth is a fun, sometimes playful, word for "detective." As a verb, it's also what a detective does. When you seek clues, you sleuth. You, sleuth, you! The word sleuth comes from the Old Norse sloth, meaning "trail" and sleuthing is following a trail. One type of bloodhound skilled at following trails is called a sleuthhound, and that word was shortened to sleuth in the late 19th Century, referring to an investigator. As an amateur sleuth, you caught the robber dressed as a mummy before the police did. He would have escaped if not for you, you meddling sleuth!
Vocabulary lists containing sleuth
Lucky Broken Girl
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 29–November 4, 2022
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Restaurant Critic Pete Wells' Yummy Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Appeared in the March 4, 2026, print edition as 'A Smart-Aleck Sleuth'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026
There are also bird-specific iPhone apps that record, including Song Sleuth and Bird Genie, which can identify up to around 200 species.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 23, 2023
Sleuth or showman, conquerer of space or invader of dreams, he is a man caught in a trap of his own intricate construction, lost in the maelstrom of a guilty obsession.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2023
It was written by Anthony Shaffer, hot off the hit play and film Sleuth, and its big horror star Christopher Lee said it was one of the finest screenplays he had ever read.
From BBC • May 3, 2023
“I have to check my schedule. They’re streaming Columbo reruns on the Sleuth channel this month.”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
