Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: rædelse 'opinion, guess, riddle'

riddle

1 noun
     
Related topics: Tools
rid‧dle1 [countable]
1 a question that is deliberately very confusing and has a humorous or clever answer [↪ puzzle]:
See if you can solve this riddle.
2 something that you do not understand and cannot explain [= puzzle, mystery]
riddle of
The police have been unable to solve the riddle of her disappearance.
3

talk/speak in riddles

to say things in a mysterious way that other people cannot understand:
Stop talking in riddles and explain what's going on!
4TZ a wire container with holes in it that is used to separate earth from stones
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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