| 释义 |
▪ I. clue, n.|kluː, kljuː|
[A later spelling of clew, q.v. Used in all the surviving senses, but especially in the fig. In ME. -ew was the normal form even for words from French in -ue, -eu, as blew, imbew, crew, dew, sew, glew; when these were in later times altered to -ue, this spelling was extended to various native words (from OE. -iw, -eow, -eaw) as hue, spue, rue (v.), true, and clue.]
1. a. A ball of yarn or thread; = clew 2.
[1393Gower Conf. ed Pauli, II. 306 reads ‘She did him have A clue of threde’: but his spelling is normalized.] 1611Cotgr., Ploton, a clue, or bottome of. 1655–60Stanley Hist. Philos. (1701) 572 First roll up a great kind of Chaos, in manner of a..clue or bottom. 1794A. Young Agric. Suffolk (1797) 122 A common hand will do two skains a day, three of which are a clue at nine-pence. 1834H. Miller Scenes & Leg. v. (1857) 69 A small clue of yarn. 1855Kingsley Heroes ii. (1868) 248, I will give you [Theseus] a clue of thread, and by that perhaps you may find your way out again.
†b. A bunch or agglomeration of things. Obs.
1674N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 132 As unto the things thrown out by the hand, there is given forth a clue of springs, starts, and bearings. 1704Worlidge Dict. Rust. s.v. Bream, Red-worms, especially such as are to be found at the Root of a great Dock, and ly wrapt up in a round Clue. c1720W. Gibson Farrier's Guide i. ii. (1738) 17 Their true substance, which consists of a very fine Clue of Vessels.
2. a. A ball of thread, employed to guide any one in ‘threading’ his way into or out of a labyrinth (see quot. 1393 in 1) or maze; hence, in many more or less figurative applications, a fact, circumstance, or principle which, being taken hold of and followed up, leads through a maze, perplexity, difficulty, intricate investigation, etc.
1596Drayton Leg. Gaveston 153 Having lost the Clue which led us in, We wandered in the Labyrinth of Lust. 1699Pomfret Poems, On a Marriage 66 And treads the maze of life without a clue. 1780Burke Sp. Econom. Reform Wks. III. 287 The same clue of principle leads us through the labyrinth of the other departments. 1855Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 215 The nonjurors soon got hold of the clue, and followed it resolutely. 1875Stubbs Const. Hist. III. xviii. 68 The annalists..supply an imperfect clue to guide us through these obscurities.
b. With the literal sense obscured: That which points the way, indicates a solution, or puts one on the track of a discovery; a key. Esp. a piece of evidence useful in the detection of a crime.
1628Digby Voy. Medit. (1868) Pref. 18 Seeking in the movements of the heavenly bodies for a clue to the accidents of life. 1798Ferriar Illustr. Sterne, &c. 197, I expected to have found the clue to this romance. 1849C. Brontë Shirley viii. 99, I have got a clue to the identity of one. 1886F. Hume Myst. Hansom Cab (1888) i. 8 Another hansom cabman..gave a clue which will, no doubt, prove of value to the detectives in their search after the murderer. 1954M. F. Rodell Mystery Fiction xi. 74 The unforeseeable and accidental last-minute clue which rescues the detective from his intellectual..predicament. 1959Chambers's Encycl. IV. 238/1 The firearm literally scores its identity on each shell which leaves it, a vital clue at any scene involving firearms.
c. A recognized point or landmark, or a series of such, enabling one to trace out one's way.
1843Lytton Last Bar. i. ii, She had lost all clue to her way homeward. a1845Barham Ingol. Leg., Ghost xxxvi, Twere vain to stay Here in the dark without a single clue.
d. In a crossword puzzle, a sentence or phrase (often employing a definition, synonym, anagram, pun, etc.) serving to indicate a word or words to be inserted.
1914N.Y. World 6 Dec. (‘Fun’) 6/2 Cross-Word Puzzle... Fill in the small squares with words corresponding to the list of clues. 1925Punch 7 Jan. 6/1 The cross-word puzzle is a far more complicated affair than this, for all the actual letters are carefully removed from his sight, and nothing but tantalising clues and numbers are provided to enable him to discover their whereabouts. 1930Times 1 Mar. 13/4 The Crossword Puzzle... To try one clue and to solve it is to set teeth in another.
e. Colloq. phr. not to have a clue: to have no idea; not to know; to be ignorant or incompetent.
[1870Brewer's Dict. Phr. & Fable 171/2 Clue. I have not yet got the clue; to give a clue, i.e. a hint. 1924A. E. W. Mason House of Arrow ii. 20 That doesn't bring us any nearer to finding out what is Boris Waberski's strong suit... We haven't a clue to it.] 1948Partridge Dict. Forces' Slang 1939—1945 43 ‘He simply hasn't a clue’—he is completely ignorant of his job, or of what is going on. 1950J. Cannan Murder Included iv. 59 As I believe they say nowadays, I haven't a clue. 1951E. Hyams Sylvester ix. 37 ‘Sorry, old boy,’ he said. ‘I haven't a clue.’ 1957Listener 23 May 841/1 How valuable such sociological inquiries could be to local authorities, who usually haven't a clue. 1958B. Hamilton Too Much of Water iv. 78 ‘Where is his cabin?’ ‘Haven't a clue,’ said Maurice. 1967Times Rev. Industry Mar. 90/3 Professor Rose..does not seem to have had much of a clue as to what really went on in Central Office between 1957 and 1959.
3. Any figurative ‘thread’:
a. the thread of a discourse, of thought, of history, tendency, etc.
1656Sanderson Serm. Pref. §23 But how much farther it will reach, none can say; for no man yet ever saw the bottom of the clue. 1678Norris Misc. (1699) 235, I am by the clue of Meditation further led to conclude. 1768Sterne Sent. Journ., Postillion, I then tried to return [in thought] to the story of the poor German and his ass, but I had broke the clue. 1876Birch Rede Lect. Egypt 13 Research which has..joined the broken clue of history from contemporaneous monuments.
b. The thread of life which the Fates are fabled to spin and determine.
1697Dryden Virg. Past. iv. 58 The Fates, when they this happy Web have spun, Shall bless the sacred Clue, and bid it smoothly run. 1725Pope Odyss. xx. 250 Stranger, may fate a milder aspect shew, And spin thy future with a whiter clue!
4. Naut. Of a sail: see clew 7.
1599Nashe Lenten Stuffe 6 Spreading their drabled sailes in the full clue abroad a drying. 1774Westm. Mag. II. 429 We're all Macaronies from earing to clue. 1829Blackw. Mag. XXVI. 573 Let's over-haul Mr. Dibdin from clue to earing. 1867Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Clue, Clue-garnet, Clue-line, etc.
5. Of a hammock: see clew 6.
1751Smollett Per. Pic. xcix, To trust yourself and your doxy to a clue and canvas.
6. Comb. See clew.
¶ In the following, an error for elne = ell in quot. 1569; (probably the same in quot. 1465).
1465Paston Lett. No. 528 II. 235 Send me hedir ij clue af worsted for dobletts. 1569Stanford Churchw. Acc. in Antiquary (1888) Apr. 169 For viij clues of holland to make a surplesse xs. viiid.
▪ II. clue, v.
[A form of clew v.; cf. clue n.]
†1. trans. To follow or track as by a clew or clue. Obs.
1663Flagellum; or Oliver Cromwell (1672) 175 We have through these Labyrinths of his shifted Designs, now clued him to his lustful and adulterous Usurpation.
2. trans. = clew v. 1.
1860Mayne Reid Quadrupeds (1868) 165 The power of clueing themselves up à la hedgehog.
3. a. Naut. to clue up: see clew v. 3.
1762Falconer Shipwr. ii. 92 Clued-up each top⁓sail, and by braces squared. 1806A. Duncan Nelson 75 The sails were all clued up.
b. fig. Cf. ‘wind up’.
1867Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. Introd. 5 An afflicting malady..which..closed his valuable life, and clued up our arrangements.
4. a. trans. In a crossword puzzle or the like: to indicate by means of a clue (see clue n. 2 d).
1934Punch 17 Jan. 68/1 Four letters. I think they would clue them like this. ‘An article in the middle of a short railway.’ 1967Listener 22 June 835/1 The remaining lights are clued normally. 1967Sci. Amer. Sept. 275/2 The Double-Crostic, in which the words of a literary quotation and the name of the author and his work are derived from words clued by cryptic definitions.
b. To inform, tell (someone); to provide with a clue; also with up. So to clue up: to get to know about; clued (up) ppl. adj., informed, knowledgeable. slang.
1948‘N. Shute’ No Highway v. 115 We've got to jump at this decision, now... We can clue up the official side later. 1955J. I. M. Stewart Guardians 121 He's well clued up in all the Fontanay stuff. 1958E. H. Clements Uncommon Cold i. 16 Keep me clued up about Remin's doings. 1958J. D. MacDonald Executioners (1959) viii. 135 Usually I can come up with a clue. But I draw a big blank. Clue me, Louie. 1958Ottawa Citizen 11 June 29/1 One officer described him as a ‘well-clued technical officer, well up on advanced mathematics, physics and electronics...’ 1959C. MacInnes Absol. Beginners 59 Clue me then, teenager. My big ears are flapping. Ibid. 64 You meet all kinds of cats..who can clue you up in all kinds of directions. 1970R. Crawford Kiss Boss Goodbye ii. vi. 94 ‘I don't know,’ I said. ‘Are you clued?’ ‘Nope.’ |