Marlowe, Philip BrE AmE
an American ↑ private detective (=someone who is employed to look for information or missing people) in stories written by Raymond ↑ chandler . Marlowe is a tough and determined character who does not often show his feelings, but he is honest and believes in justice. He is known for being ↑ ironic (=when you say the opposite of what you really mean as a joke) , and for making jokes while pretending to be serious.