clue
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clue¹
- /kluː/
- /kljuː/ obsolete
Sounds like clew, clou, CLU · Rhymes with -uː
Where it comes from
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”).
noun clues · clew
- A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide. she had even had in the past a small smug conviction that in the domestic labyrinth she always kept the clue.
-
Information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion.
Give me a clue because the question is too vague.
Similar: hint, indication, suggestion
- An object or a kind of indication which may be used as evidence. The detectives were looking for some clues at the scene of the crime.
-
Insight or understanding ("to have a clue [about]" or "to have clue". See have a clue, clue stick)
I had little clue that I was being carefully monitored by the CCTV.
Similar: idea
- The text that indicates an answer in a crossword puzzle.
Similar: signature
verb clues · cluing · clueing · clued · clew
- To provide with a clue. The crossword compiler wasn't sure how to clue the word "should".
- To provide someone with information which they lack (often used with "in" or "up"). Smith, clue Jones in on what's been happening.
- Alternative form of clew If the lee-side of the sail were clued up, the risk would be small compared with what it would be were the sheet nearly aft and the whole sail full of wind on starting the tack.
Clue²
proper noun
- The board game Cluedo whose goal is to solve the mystery of a fictitious murder.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: clew, cue, hint, track, key, lantern, marker, piste, trace, trail, runway, picture, airstrip, guide, locator, rating
noun
Similar: signature
Translations
Every language
noun something which points the way, a guide
| Deutsch | Hinweis |
|---|
noun information that may lead one to a certain point or conclusion
| Español | pista, indicio |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 실마리 silmari |
| 日本語 | 手掛かり tegakari, 切っ掛け kikkake, きっかけ kikkake |
| 中文 | 線索 /线索 xiànsuǒ |
| हिन्दी | संकेत saṅket |
| Português | indício, sugestão, pista |
| Français | indice |
| Deutsch | Anhaltspunkt, Hinweis, Faden |
| Italiano | indizio, pista |
| Ελληνικά | ένδειξη éndeixi |
| Română | indiciu |
| Русский | ключ ključ, нить nitʹ, след sled, указа́тель ukazátelʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | manh mối |
| עברית | רמז remez |
noun object or marking that may be used in evidence
| Español | indicio |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 실마리 silmari |
| 日本語 | 手掛かり tegakari |
| 中文 | 證據 /证据 zhèngjù |
| Português | pista, indício |
| Français | indice, piste |
| Deutsch | Indiz |
| Italiano | prova |
| Română | indiciu |
| Русский | ули́ка ulíka |
verb to provide with information
| Français | informer |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | informieren, unterrichten |
Talk about this word "clue." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/clue. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. clue. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/clue "clue." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/clue.Cite this
@misc{clue_2026,
title = {clue},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/clue},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
