1
- a piece of evidence or information used in the detection of a crime or solving of a mystery（破案、解谜的）线索：
police officers are still searching for clues.
警官仍在搜集线索。
1.1
- a fact or idea that serves as a guide or aid in a task or problem（完成任务、解决问题的）线索, 提示：
archaeological evidence can give clues about the past.
考古发现的证据能提供了解过去的线索。
2
- a verbal formula giving an indication as to what is to be inserted in a particular space in a crossword（纵横填字字谜的）提示。
(clues, clued, clueing)with obj.(clue someone in)
- informal inform someone about a particular matter〈非正式〉告诉：
Stella had clued her in about Peter.
斯特拉已经告诉她彼得的事了。
短语
not have a clue
- informal know nothing about something or about how to do something〈非正式〉一无所知, 一窍不通。
词源
late Middle English: variant of CLEW. The original sense was 'a ball of thread'; hence one used to guide a person out of a labyrinth (literally or figuratively). Sense 1 dates from the early 17th cent.