sleuth

[ slooth ]

/ sluθ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sleuth ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a detective.

a bloodhound, a dog used for tracking.

verb (used with or without object)

to track or trail, as a detective.

Nearby words

Origin of sleuth

First recorded in 1875–80; short for sleuthhound

Related formssleuth·like, adjectivesu·per·sleuth, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sleuthing

Not only did she rebuff his awkward advance in person, she went home and did some sleuthing.
Online Shaming Gives Creeps the Spotlight They Deserve|Samantha Allen|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the beginning of the film, Veronica has washed her hands [of sleuthing].
Interview: Kristen Bell, Voiceover Queen, On ‘Frozen,’ ‘Veronica Mars,’ & More|Andrew Romano|December 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For the reader, however, the sleuthing Scannon does is the point.
Will These Men Ever Come Home? The Search for Missing WWII Pilots in “Vanished”|Jordan Michael Smith|November 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Reddit's attempt at sleuthing seems to have fallen very, very flat.
Amateur Hour|Megan McArdle|April 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST

After some Internet sleuthing, The Daily Beast tracked down the culprit: 31-year old Milwaukee filmmaker Mike Stoklasa.
Star Wars YouTube Battle|Benjamin Sarlin|December 28, 2009|DAILY BEAST
“I may want to call on you for some sleuthing,” explained Mary Louise.
The Mystery of the Fires|Edith Lavell
Further, he listened outside the booth while the object of his sleuthing phoned a telegram.
Our Square and the People in It|Samuel Hopkins Adams
She did not want to be seen by 65 that other sleuthing person.
The Adventure Girls at K Bar O|Clair Blank
Heres where I do a sleuthing act and follow them, he decided.
The Motor Girls at Camp Surprise|Margaret Penrose
A delirious feeling of triumph stole over her, making her believe that success was at hand for her in her sleuthing.
The Mystery of the Secret Band|Edith Lavell

British Dictionary definitions for sleuthing

sleuth

/ (sluːθ) /

noun

an informal word for detective

short for sleuthhound (def. 1)

verb

(tr) to track or follow

Word Origin for sleuth

C19: short for sleuthhound, from C12 sleuth trail, from Old Norse sloth; see slot ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sleuthing

sleuth

c.1200, "track or trail of a person," from Old Norse sloð "trail," of uncertain origin. Meaning "detective" is 1872, shortening of sleuth-hound "keen investigator" (1849), a figurative use of a word that dates back to late 14c. meaning a kind of bloodhound. The verb (intransitive) meaning "to act as a detective, investigate" is recorded from 1905. Related: Sleuthed; sleuthing.