- riddle
- riddleriddle1 [rid′'l]n.[ME ridil < OE rædels, akin to rædan, to guess, READ1]1. a problem or puzzle in the form of a question, statement, etc. so formulated that some ingenuity is required to solve or answer it; conundrum2. any puzzling, perplexing, or apparently inexplicable person or thing, as a difficult problem or enigmatic saying; enigmavt.riddled, riddlingto solve or explain (a riddle)vi.to propound riddles; speak enigmaticallySYN.- MYSTERY1riddle2 [rid′'l]n.[ME ridil < OE hriddel, earlier hridder < base of hridrian, to sift, winnow, akin to Ger reiter < IE base * (s)ker-, to cut, separate > HARVEST]a coarse sieve for grading gravel, separating chaff from grain, etc.vt.riddled, riddling1. to sift through such a sieve2.a) to make many holes in, as by a burst of buckshot; puncture throughoutb) to find and show flaws in; criticize and disprovec) to affect every part of; spread throughout [riddled with errors]
English World dictionary. V. Neufeldt. 2014.