different between messenger vs clue

English

Etymology

From Middle English messengere, messingere, messangere, from Old French messanger, a variant of Old French messagier (French messager), equivalent to message +? -er. Doublet of messager.Displaced native English boda (“messenger, envoy”) and English ærendwreca (“messenger, ambassador”).

For the replacement of -ager with -enger, -inger, -anger, compare passenger, harbinger, scavenger, porringer. This development may have been merely the addition of n, or it may have resulted due to contamination from other suffixes such as Middle English -ing and the rare Old French -ange, -enc, -inge, -inghe (“-ing”) for Old French -age (“-age”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?s.n?.d???/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?s.n?.d???/
• Hyphenation: mes?sen?ger

Noun

messenger (plural messengers)

1. One who brings messages.
2. (nautical) A light line with which a heavier line may be hauled e.g. from the deck of a ship to the pier.
3. The supporting member of an aerial cable (electric power or telephone or data).
4. (law) A person appointed to perform certain ministerial duties under bankrupt and insolvent laws, such as to take charge of the estate of the bankrupt or insolvent.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Bouvier to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Tomlins to this entry?)

5. (computing) An instant messenger program.
6. A forerunner.
7. A light scudding cloud preceding a storm.
8. A piece of paper, etc., blown up a string to a kite.
9. (oceanography) A weight dropped down a line to close a Nansen bottle.
10. The secretary bird.
11. (Scotland) A messenger-at-arms.

Derived terms

• instant messenger
• raven-messenger

Translations

Verb

messenger (third-person singular simple present messengers, present participle messengering, simple past and past participle messengered)

1. (transitive) To send something by messenger.

   I'll messenger over the signed documents.

English

Etymology

Variant of clew (“a ball of thread or yarn”), from Middle English clewe, from Old English cl?ewen (“ball”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuw?n?, *klewô (“ball, bale”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to amass, conglomerate; clump, ball, bale”). Sense evolution with reference to the one which the mythical Theseus used to guide him out of the Minotaur's labyrinth. More at clew.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klu?/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /klju?/
• Rhymes: -u?
• Homophone: clew

Noun

clue (plural clues)

1. (now rare) A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide.
2. Information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion.

3. An object or a kind of indication which may be used as evidence.

4. Insight or understanding ("to have a clue [about]" or "to have clue". See have a clue, clue stick)

Synonyms

• (information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion): hint, indication, suggestion
• (object or indication which may be used as evidence): signature
• (understanding): idea

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• evidence
• red herring

Verb

clue (third-person singular simple present clues, present participle cluing or clueing, simple past and past participle clued)

1. To provide with a clue.

2. To provide someone with information which he or she lacks (often used with "in" or "up").

Derived terms

• clue in
• clued up

Translations

References

Anagrams

• Luce, leuc-, luce

Latin

Verb

clu?

1. second-person singular present active imperative of clue?

Middle English

Noun

clue

1. Alternative form of clewe