clue
[noun]
Synonyms: indication, evidence, hint, lead, pointer, sign, suggestion, suspicion, trace

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. Clue trademark
the US name for the game Cluedo

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. Clue‧do /ˈkluːdəʊ/ British English, Clue American English trademark
a type of board game in which each player becomes a different character, such as Colonel Mustard or Miss Scarlet, in a murder story, and tries to discover which character is the murderer, what the murder weapon was, and in which room in the house the murder took place

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. clue¹ S2 /kluː/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: clew 'ball of string' (11-19 centuries), from Old English cliewen; from the use of a ball of string for finding the way out of a network of passages]

1. an object or piece of information that helps someone solve a crime or mystery:
Police have found a vital clue.
clue to/about/as to
We now have an important clue as to the time of the murder.
Archaeological evidence will provide clues about what the building was used for.
clue in
This information is a valuable clue in our hunt for the bombers.
a desperate search for clues

2. information that helps you understand the reasons why something happens
clue to/about/as to
Childhood experiences may provide a clue as to why some adults develop eating disorders.

3. a piece of information that helps you solve a crossword puzzle, answer a question etc:
I’ll give you a clue, Kevin, it’s a kind of bird.

4. not have a clue (where/why/how etc) informal
a) to not have any idea about the answer to a question, how to do something, what a situation is etc:
‘Do you know how to switch this thing off?’ ‘I haven’t a clue.’
Until I arrived here, I hadn’t got a clue what I was going to say to her.
b) to be very stupid, or very bad at a particular activity:
Don’t let Mike cook you dinner; he hasn’t got a clue.
I haven’t a clue how to talk to girls.
not have a clue (where/why/how etc) about
No point asking Jill – she hasn’t got a clue about maths.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. clue² verb
clue somebody ↔ in phrasal verb informal
to give someone information about something
clue somebody ↔ in on/about
Somebody must have clued him in on our sales strategy.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

clue
noun
ADJ. good, important, useful, valuable | vital | tell-tale | obvious
VERB + CLUE have, hold So far, the police haven't got any clues as to the motive for the crime. Diet may hold the clue to the causes of migraine.
give (sb), furnish/provide/supply (sb with), yield The hat gives a clue to the identity of the killer. The letter yielded no clues.
hunt for, look for, search for | discover, find, uncover | leave The burglar left no clues.
follow (up)
PREP. ~ about This research might provide an important clue about how cancer develops.
~ (as) to a clue as to her whereabouts

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

clue

provide a clue
Any information could provide the police with useful clues.
hold a clue (also yield a clue formal) (=provide one)
The poem itself holds a clue about who it was written for.
leave a clue
The bombers may have left behind vital clues.
search (something) for clues
Detectives are still searching the house for clues.
look for/hunt for clues
Investigators descended on the crime scene hunting for clues.
find a clue
No one had found any clues as to where the missing girl could be.
an important/useful/valuable clue
The car used in the robbery may provide important clues.
a vital clue (=very important)
A videotape could hold vital clues to the criminal’s identity.
a further clue (=an additional clue)
They searched the surrounding area for further clues.
a search for clues
She opened every drawer in her desperate search for clues.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲