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riddles - 4 dictionary results
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rid⋅dle

1  [rid-l] noun, verb, -dled, -dling.
Use riddles in a Sentence
–noun
1. a question or statement so framed as to exercise one's ingenuity in answering it or discovering its meaning; conundrum.
2. a puzzling question, problem, or matter.
3. a puzzling thing or person.
4. any enigmatic or dark saying or speech.
–verb (used without object)
5. to propound riddles; speak enigmatically.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME redel, redels (n.), OE rǣdels(e) counsel, opinion, imagination, riddle (rǣd(an) to counsel, rede + -els(e) deverbal n. suffix) with loss of -s- in ME through confusion with the pl. form of the n. suffix -el -le (cf. burial ); c. G Rätsel, D raadsel

Synonyms:
1. See puzzle.

rid⋅dle

2  [rid-l] verb, -dled, -dling, noun
–verb (used with object)
1. to pierce with many holes, suggesting those of a sieve: to riddle the target.
2. to fill or affect with (something undesirable, weakening, etc.): a government riddled with graft.
3. to impair or refute completely by persistent verbal attacks: to riddle a person's reputation.
4. to sift through a riddle, as gravel; screen.
–noun
5. a coarse sieve, as one for sifting sand in a foundry.
Origin:
bef. 1100; (n.) ME riddil, OE hriddel, var. of hridder, hrīder; c. G Reiter; akin to L crībrum sieve; (v.) ME ridlen to sift, deriv. of the n.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To riddles
rid·dle 1   (rĭd'l)   
tr.v.   rid·dled, rid·dling, rid·dles
  1. To pierce with numerous holes; perforate: riddle a target with bullets.
  2. To spread throughout: "Election campaigns have always been riddled with demagogy and worse" (New Republic).
  3. To put (gravel, for example) through a coarse sieve.
n.  A coarse sieve, as for gravel.

[Middle English ridelen, to sift, from riddil, sieve, from Old English hriddel; see krei- in Indo-European roots.]
rid'dler n.
rid·dle 2   (rĭd'l)   
n.  
  1. A question or statement requiring thought to answer or understand; a conundrum.
  2. One that is perplexing; an enigma.
v.   rid·dled, rid·dling, rid·dles

v.   tr.
To solve or explain.
v.   intr.
  1. To propound or solve riddles.
  2. To speak in riddles.

[Middle English redels, from Old English rǣdels; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]
rid'dler n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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