a member of the police force or a private investigator whose function is to obtain information and evidence, as of offenses against the law.

of or pertaining to detection or detectives

a detective story.

serving to detect; detecting

various detective devices.

noun

agent , analyst , bird dog , bloodhound , bull * , constable , cop , dick , eavesdropper , eye * , fed , fink * , flatfoot , gumshoe * , informer , nark , peeper , p. i. , plainclothes officer , police officer , private eye , private investigator , prosecutor , reporter , roper , scout , sergeant , shadow * , shamus , sherlock holmes , shoofly , sleuth , slewfoot , snoop * , spy , tail * , investigator , bull , gumshoe , hawkshaw , operator , scenter , spotter , tracer