About The Word Riddle

Bay Area Crosswords

Learn about the word Riddle to help solve your crossword puzzle. Discover Riddle definitions and meaning, origins, synonyms, related terms and more at the free Crossword Dictionary.

Riddle

Riddle Meaning & Definition
Riddle Definition And Meaning

What's The Definition Of Riddle?

[n] a coarse sieve (as for gravel)
[n] a difficult problem
[v] set a riddle
[v] explain a riddle
[v] speak in riddles
[v] pierce many times; "The bullets riddled his body"
[v] separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff

Synonyms | Synonyms for Riddle: brain-teaser | conundrum | enigma | screen

Related Terms | Find terms related to Riddle:

See Also | amaze | baffle | beat | bewilder | communicate | dumbfound | figure out | flummox | get | gravel | intercommunicate | lick | mystify | nonplus | perplex | pierce | pose | problem | puzzle | puzzle out | screen | sieve | sieve | sift | solve | strain | stupefy | vex | work | work out

Riddle In Webster's Dictionary

\Rid"dle\, n. [OE. ridil, AS. hridder; akin to G. reiter, L. cribrum, and to Gr. ??? to distinguish, separate, and G. rein clean. See {Crisis}, {Certain}.] 1. A sieve with coarse meshes, usually of wire, for separating coarser materials from finer, as chaff from grain, cinders from ashes, or gravel from sand. 2. A board having a row of pins, set zigzag, between which wire is drawn to straighten it.
\Rid"dle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Riddled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Riddling}.] 1. To separate, as grain from the chaff, with a riddle; to pass through a riddle; as, riddle wheat; to riddle coal or gravel. 2. To perforate so as to make like a riddle; to make many holes in; as, a house riddled with shot.
\Rid"dle\, n. [For riddels, s being misunderstood as the plural ending; OE. ridels, redels. AS. r?dels; akin to D. raadsel, G. r["a]thsel; fr. AS. r?dan to counsel or advise, also, to guess. [root]116. Cf. {Read}.] Something proposed to be solved by guessing or conjecture; a puzzling question; an ambiguous proposition; an enigma; hence, anything ambiguous or puzzling. To wring from me, and tell to them, my secret, That solved the riddle which I had proposed. --Milton. 'T was a strange riddle of a lady. --Hudibras.
\Rid"dle\, v. t. To explain; to solve; to unriddle. Riddle me this, and guess him if you can. --Dryden.
\Rid"dle\, v. i. To speak ambiguously or enigmatically. ``Lysander riddels very prettily.'' --Shak.

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