detective: Meaning and Definition of

de•tec•tive

Pronunciation: (di-tek'tiv), [key]
— n.
  1. a member of the police force or a private investigator whose function is to obtain information and evidence, as of offenses against the law.
—adj.
  1. of or pertaining to detection or detectives: a detective story.
  2. serving to detect; detecting: various detective devices.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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