noun
someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information (Freq. 12)
• Syn: ↑private detective, ↑PI, ↑private investigator, ↑operative, ↑shamus, ↑sherlock
• Hypernyms: ↑detective
• Hyponyms: ↑hotel detective, ↑house detective, ↑house dick, ↑inquiry agent, ↑store detective
* * *
ˌprivate deˈtective [private detective] (also ˌprivate inˈvestigator) (also informal ˌprivate ˈeye) noun
a ↑detective who is not in the police, but who can be employed to find out information, find a missing person, follow sb, etc.
See also: ↑private investigator
Useful english dictionary. 2012.