Word a Day
detective
What does detective mean?
detective (noun): a police officer tasked with collecting evidence and information in order to solve a crime; an investigator.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use detective in a sentence?
- He worked as a detective with the agency for five years. (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0)
How do you pronounce detective?
/dɪˈtɛktɪv/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does detective come from?
The adjective is from Classical Latin dētēct-, past participial stem of dētegō (“to detect”), + -ive.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “detective”?
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What does “detective” mean?
a change whereby something goes from one place to another; a state of progression from one place to another
Not quite: that's what motion means.
a police officer tasked with collecting evidence and information in order to solve a crime; an investigator
Right! That's what “detective” means.
an electronic communication medium that allows the transmission of real-time visual images, and often sound
Not quite: that's what television means.
a contest between people, animals, vehicles, etc. where the goal is to be the first to reach some objective
Not quite: that's what race means.
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