(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is someone whose job is to discover what has happened in a crime or other situation and to find the people involved. Some ~s work in the police force and others work privately.
Detectives are appealing for witnesses who may have seen anything suspicious...
She hired a private ~ in an attempt to find her daughter.
N-COUNT
2.
A ~ novel or story is one in which a ~ tries to solve a crime.
ADJ: ADJ n