missing link en · NOUN
Meanings
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(colloquial) A hypothetical primate once thought necessary to explain a perceived evolutionary gap between apes and humans.
"In the latter case, he may well approximate to what the vulgar have called the 'missing link'."
1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
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(figuratively) Any sought-after or valuable intermediary figure or position.
It is hoped this can finally solve the conundrum of how to connect the base to the elite, for so long the game’s missing link.
2020 August 3, Simon Hill, “Football looks to digital revolution to find missing link between base and elite”, in The Guardian:"For too long, there has been a missing link between the East and West Midlands, and this is our opportunity to reforge it," said Webbe.
2022 February 23, “Network News: MP urges link between Midlands cities to be 'reforged'”, in RAIL, number 951, page 24:What we need is an artist who is also a scientist; or a scientist who thinks like an artist. And at last I can unveil that missing link of art and science!
2010 February 4, Jonathan Jones, “Art v science – at last, the missing link”, in The Guardian:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| missing links | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (30)
ja ミッシングリンク (hypothetical primate) · ru перехо́дная фо́рма (hypothetical primate) · fi puuttuva rengas (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · bg липсващото звено (hypothetical primate) · es eslabón perdido (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · cmn 缺少的環節 /缺少的环节 (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · sv felande länk (hypothetical primate) · cmn 缺環 /缺环 (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · ru недостаю́щее звено́ (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · cmn 缺少的環節 /缺少的环节 (hypothetical primate) · sh karika koja nedostaje (hypothetical primate) · de fehlendes Bindeglied (hypothetical primate) · cmn 缺環 /缺环 (hypothetical primate) · es eslabón perdido (hypothetical primate) · de fehlende Verbindung (hypothetical primate) · de fehlende Verbindung (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · de fehlendes Glied (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · fi puuttuva lenkki (hypothetical primate) · fr chaînon manquant (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · fi puuttuva rengas (hypothetical primate) · fr chaînon manquant (hypothetical primate) · de fehlendes Bindeglied (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · de fehlendes Glied (hypothetical primate) · de Missing Link (hypothetical primate) · pt elo perdido (hypothetical primate) · fi puuttuva lenkki (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · sv felande länk (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · hu hiányzó láncszem (hypothetical primate) · hu hiányzó láncszem (figuratively: sought-after intermediary figure) · ru недостаю́щее звено́ (hypothetical primate)