riddle Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a difficult problem
    conundrum; enigma; brain-teaser.
  2. noun a coarse sieve (as for gravel)
  3. verb pierce with many holes
    • The bullets riddled his body
  4. verb set a difficult problem or riddle
    • riddle me a riddle
  5. verb separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff
    screen.
  6. verb spread or diffuse through
    permeate; interpenetrate; pervade; penetrate; diffuse; imbue.
    • An atmosphere of distrust has permeated this administration
    • music penetrated the entire building
    • His campaign was riddled with accusations and personal attacks
  7. verb speak in riddles
  8. verb explain a riddle

WordNet

Rid"dle noun
Etymology
OE. ridil, AS. hridder; akin to G. reiter, L. cribrum, and to Gr. to distinguish, separate, and G. rein clean. See Crisis, Certain.
Definitions
  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 transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Riddled ; present participle & verbal noun Riddling
Definitions
  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 noun
Etymology
For riddels, s being misunderstood as the plural ending; OE. ridels, redels. AS. rdels; akin to D. raadsel, G. räthsel; fr. AS. rdan to counsel or advise, also, to guess. Cf. Read.
Definitions
  1. 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 transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To explain; to solve; to unriddle.
    Riddle me this, and guess him if you can. Dryden.
Rid"dle intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To speak ambiguously or enigmatically. "Lysander riddels very prettily." Shak.

Webster 1913