Link Centre Dictionary

clue

UK/kluː/ US/kljuː/ common
noun (2) verb (1)

noun

1.

a slight indication

Synonyms
2.

evidence that helps to solve a problem

Synonyms

verb

1.

roll into a ball

Synonyms

Origin

Variant of clew (“a ball of thread or yarn”), from Middle English clew, clewe, clowe, clue, clwe, clyw, clywe, from Old English clēowen, clīewen, clīowen, clīwen, clȳwe, clȳwen (“ball, sphere; skein”), from Proto-West Germanic *kliuwīn (“ball, clump”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwīną, *klewô (“bale, ball, clump, mass”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to ball up, clump together; lump, swelling”). Sense evolution with reference to the one which the mythical Theseus used to guide him out of the Minotaur's labyrinth. More at clew. Cognates Cognate with Cimbrian khnaul (“ball of yarn”), Dutch kluwe, kluwen (“ball thread or yarn, clew”), German Knäuel (“ballyarn; tangle”), Norwegian Nynorsk kljå (“a loom weight”); also Sanskrit ग्लौ (glau, “the moon; camphor; the earth”).

Phrases

  • clue card Compound words and expressions
  • clue in
  • clue stick Compound words and expressions
  • clue up
  • clued up
  • context clue Compound words and expressions
  • get a clue Compound words and expressions
  • have a clue Compound words and expressions
  • no clue
  • not have a clue Compound words and expressions
  • rebel without a clue Compound words and expressions

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.