Clue

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Clue \Clue\ (kl[=u]), n. [See {Clew}, n.]
     A ball of thread; a thread or other means of guidance. Same
     as {Clew}.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           You have wound a goodly clue.            --Shak.


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           This clue once found unravels all the rest. --Pope.
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           Serve as clues to guide us into further knowledge.
                                                    --Locke.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Clew \Clew\ (kl[=u]), Clue \Clue\, n. [OE. clewe, clowe, clue,
     AS. cleowen, cliwen, clywe ball of thread; akin to D. kluwen,
     OHG. chliwa, chliuwa, G. dim. kleuel, kn[aum]uel, and perch.
     to L. gluma hull, husk, Skr. glaus sort of ball or tumor.
     Perch. akin to E. claw. [root]26. Cf. {Knawel}.]
     1. A ball of thread, yarn, or cord; also, The thread itself.
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              Untwisting his deceitful clew.        --Spenser.
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     2. That which guides or directs one in anything of a doubtful
        or intricate nature; that which gives a hint in the
        solution of a mystery.
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              The clew, without which it was perilous to enter the
              vast and intricate maze of countinental politics,
              was in his hands.                     --Macaulay.
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     3. (Naut.)
        (a.) A lower corner of a square sail, or the after corner
             of a fore-and-aft sail.
        (b.) A loop and thimbles at the corner of a sail.
        (c.) A combination of lines or nettles by which a hammock
             is suspended.
             [1913 Webster]
  
     {Clew garnet} (Naut.), one of the ropes by which the clews of
        the courses of square-rigged vessels are drawn up to the
        lower yards.
  
     {Clew line} (Naut.), a rope by which a clew of one of the
        smaller square sails, as topsail, topgallant sail, or
        royal, is run up to its yard.
  
     {Clew-line block} (Naut.), The block through which a clew
        line reeves. See Illust. of {Block}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  clue
       n 1: a slight indication [syn: {hint}]
       2: evidence that helps to solve a problem [syn: {clew}, {cue}]
       v : roll into a ball [syn: {clew}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  92 Moby Thesaurus words for "clue":
     acquaint, advice, advise, alerting, answer, apprise,
     basis for belief, body of evidence, broad hint, catchword, caution,
     chain of evidence, cue, cue word, data, datum, documentation,
     evidence, exhibit, fact, facts, fill in, gentle hint, gesture,
     glimmer, glimmering, grounds, grounds for belief, hint, hot lead,
     implication, imply, index, indicate, indication, indicator, inform,
     information, inkling, innuendo, insinuation, intimate, intimation,
     item of evidence, key, key word, kick, lead, look, manifestation,
     mark, material grounds, monition, muniments, mute witness, nod,
     notify, notion, nudge, office, passing word, piece of evidence,
     pointer, post, premises, prompt, proof, reason to believe,
     relevant fact, scent, sign, signal, spoor, steer, suggest,
     suggestion, suspicion, symptom, tell, telltale, tip, tip-off,
     token, trace, track, vestige, warn, warning, whiff, whisper, wind,
     wink