sleuthhound
Definition
Noun: 1. A bloodhound: A breed of large, powerful dog originally from Europe, characterized by an extremely acute sense of smell and historically used for tracking people or animals by scent. 2. A detective; an investigator: A person, especially a detective, who diligently follows clues or a trail to solve a mystery or crime. This usage is figurative and somewhat old-fashioned.
Usage Examples
- Referring to the dog breed:
- The police used a sleuthhound to follow the fugitive's scent through the forest.
- With its legendary nose, the sleuthhound is unmatched in tracking.
- Referring to a detective:
- The old novel featured a brilliant sleuthhound who solved the case using only logic and observation.
- He worked as a private sleuthhound, taking on cases the police had abandoned.
Advanced Usage
- The term sleuthhound for a detective carries a connotation of tenacity and skill in following subtle clues, much like the dog. It is more literary and less common in modern speech than synonyms like "detective" or "investigator."
- It can be used metaphorically for anyone who diligently pursues information:
Variants and Related Words
- Sleuth (noun): A detective. This is a more common and shortened form of "sleuthhound" when referring to an investigator.
- Agatha Christie created many famous sleuths.
- Bloodhound (noun): The direct and more common term for the dog breed. "Sleuthhound" is a synonym for this breed.
Synonyms
- For the dog: Bloodhound, tracker.
- For the person: Detective, investigator, private eye, gumshoe (slang), operative.
Idioms and Related Phrases
- To sleuth / To play the sleuth: To investigate or act like a detective.
- He loved to sleuth around the old house, looking for clues about its history.
- On the scent: Actively following clues. This idiom directly relates to the tracking ability of the sleuthhound dog.
- The journalist was on the scent of a major scandal.
Noun
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a breed of large powerful hound of European origin having very acute smell and used in tracking
-
a detective who follows a trail
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