Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun An English surname
  • proper noun A rare male given name transferred from the surname.
  • proper noun humorous A detective (from Sherlock Holmes), especially used ironically to address somebody who has stated the obvious.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Supposedly from an Old English scir-lock "bright-lock". One of a group of surnames originally denoting hair colour, parallel to Blacklock, Harlock (har "grey"), Silverlock.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word Sherlock.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.