Pronunciations
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/ˈʃɜɹ.lɒk/
Proper noun
An English surname transferred from the nickname.
A male given name transferred from the surname, of rare usage.
A detective, especially used sarcastically to address somebody who has stated the obvious.
Usage- Humorous
- Examples
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— Where that arrow on the map says 'You are here', that must be where we are. — Yeah, well done Sherlock.
Verb
To deduce.
Usage- Informal
- Synonyms
- Examples
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"Anybody could have Sherlocked at a glance," sniffed young Kennilworth, "that it had been packed by a crazy person!"
But almost at once I told myself that I ought to have Sherlocked the truth the moment this troubled, beautiful being had appeared on deck.
More examples (1)
He wasn't crew, and he wasn't talent. I Sherlocked that from his clothes: […]
To search.
Usage- Informal
- Examples
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That afternoon when the boys were in the field Mr. Frickstad sherlocked around in the tents and under the cots looking for a missing rocking-chair.
More examples (1)
It is reported that Governor McCall will also appoint a committee to investigate the high cost of living, but in the meantime individual investigators have Sherlocked around and their stories would make DeQuincy's Life of an Opium Eater fade into insignificance.
Mlle. Belge's eyes Sherlocked over her chorus until it matched up those curls.
To obsolete a unique feature in third-party software by introducing a similar or identical feature to the OS or a first-party program/app.
Usage- Slang
- Examples
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The thing software developers fear most is being "sherlocked".
All three developers are in a position common enough that it even has a name in the community. They have been "sherlocked".
More examples (1)
Last year, when Apple released iOS 7 it added a feature to the Photo app, allowing users to sort photos on the basis of location and date. Photoworks, a third-party app, too offered same functionality. In response, app developer Stephen Orth tweeted, "I guess my new app just got sherlocked."