private dick
Noir film sleuth
A private dick is a private detective or private investigator—someone hired outside law enforcement to conduct investigations.
Dick here is old slang for detective, not the anatomical term.
The phrase sounds dated and noir-inflected, evoking 1940s crime fiction: He hired a private dick to tail his business partner.
Informal term for detective
- shamusSlang term for sleuth
- trenchcoatBelted, knee-length raincoat
- fedoraSoft creased felt hat
- hardboiledTough, cynical fiction style
pulp · Hammett · Sam Spade · seedy · cynical · wisecrack · dame · femme fatale
Professional crime investigator
- investigatorOne who examines evidence
- tailRear animal appendage
- shadowLight blocked by object
- stakeoutProlonged covert observation
surveillance · snoop · trailing · tracking · casework · legwork · inquiry · evidence
Secretly engaged in espionage
- incognitoWith identity concealed
- disguiseIdentity-concealing alteration
- stakeoutProlonged covert observation
- hiddenKept out of sight
shadowy · surreptitious · cover story · assumed name · plain clothes · unmarked car · blend in · low profile
gumshoe
Informal term for detective
- shamusSlang term for sleuth
- trenchcoatBelted, knee-length raincoat
- fedoraSoft creased felt hat
hardboiled · pulp · Hammett · Sam Spade · seedy · cynical · wisecrack · dame · femme fatale · two-bit
detective
Professional crime investigator
- investigatorOne who examines evidence
- tailRear animal appendage
- shadowLight blocked by object
stakeout · surveillance · snoop · trailing · tracking · casework · legwork · inquiry · evidence · clues
undercover
Secretly engaged in espionage
- incognitoWith identity concealed
- disguiseIdentity-concealing alteration
- stakeoutProlonged covert observation
hidden · shadowy · surreptitious · cover story · assumed name · plain clothes · unmarked car · blend in · low profile · discreet
whodunit
Crime fiction identifying perpetrator
red herring · intrigue · suspense · clue · motive · alibi · suspect · missing person · cold case · unsolved
private dickcop
Law enforcement slang
police officer · police detective · federal agent · FBI agent · G-man
private dickpublic prosecutor
Official who brings charges
state's attorney · inspector · chief of police · police commissioner · detective sergeant
private, privates, privately, privation, privy, privacy, deprive, deprived, deprivation