What does riddle mean?
Definitions for riddle
ˈrɪd lrid·dle
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word riddle.
Princeton's WordNet
riddle, conundrum, enigma, brain-teaser(noun)
a difficult problem
riddle(verb)
a coarse sieve (as for gravel)
riddle(verb)
pierce with many holes
"The bullets riddled his body"
riddle(verb)
set a difficult problem or riddle
"riddle me a riddle"
riddle, screen(verb)
separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff
permeate, pervade, penetrate, interpenetrate, diffuse, imbue, riddle(verb)
spread or diffuse through
"An atmosphere of distrust has permeated this administration"; "music penetrated the entire building"; "His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks"
riddle(verb)
speak in riddles
riddle(verb)
explain a riddle
Webster Dictionary
Riddle(noun)
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
Etymology: [OE. ridil, AS. hridder; akin to G. reiter, L. cribrum, and to Gr. kri`nein to distinguish, separate, and G. rein clean. See Crisis, Certain.]
Riddle(noun)
a board having a row of pins, set zigzag, between which wire is drawn to straighten it
Etymology: [OE. ridil, AS. hridder; akin to G. reiter, L. cribrum, and to Gr. kri`nein to distinguish, separate, and G. rein clean. See Crisis, Certain.]
Riddle(verb)
to separate, as grain from the chaff, with a riddle; to pass through a riddle; as, riddle wheat; to riddle coal or gravel
Etymology: [OE. ridil, AS. hridder; akin to G. reiter, L. cribrum, and to Gr. kri`nein to distinguish, separate, and G. rein clean. See Crisis, Certain.]
Riddle(verb)
to perforate so as to make like a riddle; to make many holes in; as, a house riddled with shot
Etymology: [OE. ridil, AS. hridder; akin to G. reiter, L. cribrum, and to Gr. kri`nein to distinguish, separate, and G. rein clean. See Crisis, Certain.]
Riddle(noun)
something proposed to be solved by guessing or conjecture; a puzzling question; an ambiguous proposition; an enigma; hence, anything ambiguous or puzzling
Etymology: [OE. ridil, AS. hridder; akin to G. reiter, L. cribrum, and to Gr. kri`nein to distinguish, separate, and G. rein clean. See Crisis, Certain.]
Riddle(verb)
to explain; to solve; to unriddle
Etymology: [OE. ridil, AS. hridder; akin to G. reiter, L. cribrum, and to Gr. kri`nein to distinguish, separate, and G. rein clean. See Crisis, Certain.]
Riddle(verb)
to speak ambiguously or enigmatically
Etymology: [OE. ridil, AS. hridder; akin to G. reiter, L. cribrum, and to Gr. kri`nein to distinguish, separate, and G. rein clean. See Crisis, Certain.]
Freebase
Riddle
A riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: enigmas, which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that require ingenuity and careful thinking for their solution, and conundra, which are questions relying for their effects on punning in either the question or the answer.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Riddle
rid′l, n. an obscure description of something which the hearer is asked to name: a puzzling question: an enigma: anything puzzling, even a person.—v.i. to make riddles: to speak obscurely: to plait.—adj. Ridd′le-like (Shak.), like a riddle or enigma.—ns. Ridd′ler; Ridd′ling (Spens.), skill in explaining riddles.—adv. Ridd′lingly. [A.S. rǽdelse—rǽdan, to guess, to read—rǽd, counsel; cog. with Dut. raad, Ger. rath.]
Riddle
rid′l, n. a large sieve for separating coarser materials from finer.—v.t. to separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff: to make full of holes like a riddle, as with shot.—n.pl. Ridd′lings, siftings. [A.S. hridder; Gael. criathar.]
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
riddle
A sort of weir in rivers.--To riddle. To fire through and through a vessel, and reduce her to a sieve-like condition.
Anagrams for riddle »
Dreidl
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of riddle in Chaldean Numerology is: 1
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of riddle in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
Examples of riddle in a Sentence
The ring ... really helped us to solve this riddle.
Sir Winston Churchill, Radio speech, 1939:
I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma: but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.
I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.
There was this huge world out there, independent of us human beings and standing before us like a great, eternal riddle, at least partly accessible to our inspection and thought. The contemplation of that world beckoned like a liberation.
I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
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Translations for riddle
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- لغزArabic
- hádanka, prosít, proděravětCzech
- enträtseln, durchlöchern, RätselGerman
- εξηγώ, γρίφος, κρισάρα, αίνιγμα, κόσκινο, λύνω, κοσκινίζω, ξεδιαλύνω, τρυπώGreek
- enigmoEsperanto
- acertijo, harnero, adivinanza, agujerear, plagar, enigma, criba, cribar, harnearSpanish
- mõistatusEstonian
- arvoitus, siivilä, arvata, siivilöidä, rei'ittää, puhkoa, vilistäFinnish
- gátaFaroese
- cribler, devinaille, devinette, énigmeFrench
- dubh-fhacalScottish Gaelic
- पहेलीHindi
- rejtély, rejtvény, talányHungarian
- հանելուկArmenian
- teka-tekiIndonesian
- gátaIcelandic
- spiegare, crivellare, forare, enigma, scolino, indovinello, setaccio, cospargere, riempire, risolvere, setacciareItalian
- なぞなぞJapanese
- ಒಗಟನ್ನುKannada
- 수수께끼Korean
- mīklaLatvian
- pere, pangaMāori
- doordringen, doorspekt, raadsel, raden, zeven, doorzevenDutch
- gåteNorwegian
- zagadka, rzeszotoPolish
- charada, adivinhas, enigma, peneiraPortuguese
- ghicitoare, cimiliturăRomanian
- зага́дкаRussian
- zagonetka, enigmaSerbo-Croatian
- gåtaSwedish
- fumbo, mafumboSwahili
- bulmaca, esrarTurkish
- загадкаUkrainian
- پہیلیUrdu
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"riddle." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. Web. 19 Jan. 2021. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/riddle>.