RIDDLE

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.

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riddle

Noun

  1. A verbal puzzle, mystery, or other problem of an intellectual nature, such as "It's black, and white, and red all over. What is it?"

Noun (etymology 2)

  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 with a row of pins, set zigzag, between which wire is drawn to straighten it.

Verb

  1. To speak ambiguously or enigmatically.
  2. To solve, answer, or explicate a riddle or question
    Riddle me this, meaning Answer the following question.

Verb (etymology 2)

  1. To fill with holes.
    The shots from his gun began to riddle the target.
  2. To fill or spread throughout; to pervade.
    Your argument is riddled with errors.
  3. To put something through a sieve
    You have to riddle the gravel before you lay it on the road.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: riddle
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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