# hint

Pronunciation: say "HINT" /hɪnt/

## Noun

1. A clue that points toward an answer or solution.
   - Simple: A small piece of information that helps you find or guess an answer.
   - _The teacher dropped a hint that the exam would focus on chapter three._
   - _A few well-placed hints guided the detective toward the suspect._
2. An indirect suggestion that avoids stating something openly.
   - Simple: A way of suggesting something without saying it directly.
   - _She let slip a hint that the company might soon be sold._
   - _His raised eyebrow was the only hint that he disagreed._
5. A small, barely noticeable amount of something.
   - Simple: A very small amount that is hard to notice.
   - _A hint of jasmine drifted through the open window._
   - _His voice carried a hint of sadness._
7. An instruction to a database engine about how a query should be executed, such as whether to use an index.
   - Simple: A note that tells the database how to run a search, such as which shortcut to use.
   - _She added a hint to force the engine to use the primary index._
   - _The query ran much faster once the developers included a few hints._
8. Information in a computer font that adjusts how glyph outlines are distorted so they render clearly at specific sizes.
   - Simple: Extra information in a digital font that helps letters look clear at small sizes on screen.
   - _A well-crafted hint keeps the letterforms crisp even at eight pixels tall._
   - _Older fonts often shipped with detailed hints for screen rendering._

## Verb

3. To suggest something indirectly rather than stating it openly.
   - Simple: To suggest something without saying it directly.
   - _The minister hinted at upcoming reforms during the interview._
   - _Critics hint at deeper problems within the organization._
4. To bring something to mind through a slight mention or indirect reference.
   - Simple: To make someone think of something by mentioning it lightly.
   - _The novel hints a tragic ending through small details set early on._
   - _These clues hint the killer's identity without ever naming him._
9. To develop and add hints to a font so its glyphs render well at various sizes.
   - Simple: To add special information to a font so its letters look good at small sizes.
   - _Designers hint each typeface carefully before release._
   - _He hinted the font so its characters stayed sharp on screen._

## Interjection

6. Used to signal that something just said should be taken as a hint and acted on.
   - Simple: Used to point out that what was just said is a clue worth noticing.
   - _I've always wanted to visit Paris someday. Hint, hint._
   - _Someone left the very last cookie sitting on the plate. Hint._

## Noun

10. A fitting opportunity or favorable occasion to act. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A good moment or chance to do something.

## Origin

From Middle English hinten (a variant of henten, "to lay hold of, catch"), from Old English hentan ("to seize, grasp"), going back through Proto-West Germanic *hantijan to Proto-Germanic *hantijaną. It is a doublet of hent and is also related to hunt.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/hint (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).