riddle (redirected from riddles)

rid·dle ¹  (rdl)

tr.v. rid·dled, rid·dling, rid·dles

1. To pierce with numerous holes; perforate: riddle a target with bullets.

2. To spread throughout: "Election campaigns have always been riddled with demagogy and worse" (New Republic).

3. To put (gravel, for example) through a coarse sieve.

n.

A coarse sieve, as for gravel.

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[Middle English ridelen, to sift, from riddil, sieve, from Old English hriddel; see krei- in Indo-European roots.]

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riddler n.

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rid·dle ²  (rdl)

n.

1. A question or statement requiring thought to answer or understand; a conundrum.

2. One that is perplexing; an enigma.

v. rid·dled, rid·dling, rid·dles

v.tr.

To solve or explain.

v.intr.

1. To propound or solve riddles.

2. To speak in riddles.

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[Middle English redels, from Old English rdels; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]

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riddler n.

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riddle¹

n

1. a question, puzzle, or verse so phrased that ingenuity is required for elucidation of the answer or meaning; conundrum

2. a person or thing that puzzles, perplexes, or confuses; enigma

vb

1. to solve, explain, or interpret (a riddle or riddles)

2. (intr) to speak in riddles

[Old English rǣdelle, rǣdelse, from rǣd counsel; related to Old Saxon rādislo, German Rätsel]

riddler  n

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riddle²

vb (tr)

1. (usually foll by with) to pierce or perforate with numerous holes riddled with bullets

2. to damage or impair

3. to put through a sieve; sift

n

(Engineering / Tools) a sieve, esp a coarse one used for sand, grain, etc.

[Old English hriddel a sieve, variant of hridder; related to Latin crībrum sieve]

riddler  n

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	riddle - a difficult problem                   brain-teaser, conundrum, enigma problem - a question raised for consideration or solution; "our homework consisted of ten problems to solve"
	2.	riddle - a coarse sieve (as for gravel) sieve, screen - a strainer for separating lumps from powdered material or grading particles
Verb	1.	riddle - pierce with many holes; "The bullets riddled his body" pierce - make a hole into; "The needle pierced her flesh"
	2.	riddle - set a difficult problem or riddle; "riddle me a riddle" bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, baffle, mystify, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, stupefy, amaze, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, get - be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me"
	3.	riddle - separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff screen sift, sieve, strain - separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements; "sift the flour"
	4.	riddle - 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" imbue, permeate, pervade, interpenetrate, diffuse, penetrate penetrate, perforate - pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance; "The bullet penetrated her chest" spiritise, spiritize - imbue with a spirit
	5.	riddle - speak in riddles communicate, intercommunicate - transmit thoughts or feelings; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist"
	6.	riddle - explain a riddle figure out, puzzle out, solve, lick, work out, work - find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of; "did you solve the problem?"; "Work out your problems with the boss"; "this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out"; "did you get it?"; "Did you get my meaning?"; "He could not work the math problem"

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riddle¹

noun

1. puzzle, problem, conundrum, teaser, poser, rebus, brain-teaser (informal), Chinese puzzle Tell me a riddle.

2. enigma, question, secret, mystery, puzzle, conundrum, teaser, problem a riddle of modern architecture

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riddle²

verb pierce, pepper, puncture, perforate, honeycomb Attackers riddled two homes with gunfire.

Translations

riddle¹ [ˈrɪdl] N (= word puzzle) → acertijo m, adivinanza f; (= mystery) → enigma m, misterio m; (= person etc) → enigma m
to ask sb a riddle → proponer un acertijo a algn
to speak in riddles → hablar en clave

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riddle² [ˈrɪdl]

A. N (= sieve) → criba f, criba f gruesa; (= potato sorter etc) → escogedor m

B. VT

1. (= sieve) → cribar; [+ potatoes etc] → pasar por el escogedor

2. to riddle with [+ bullets etc] → acribillar a
the house is riddled with damp → la casa tiene humedad por todas partes
the organization is riddled with communists → el organismo está plagado de comunistas
the army is riddled with subversion → el ejército está infectado de elementos subversivos

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riddle [ˈrɪd^əl] n

(= question) → devinette f; (posed by the Sphinx) → énigme f

(= mystery) → énigme f

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riddle¹

n (= sieve) → (Schüttel)sieb nt

vt

soil etc → sieben; coal → sieben, schütteln

to riddle somebody/something with bullets → jdn/etw mit Kugeln durchlöchern; riddled with holes → völlig durchlöchert; riddled with woodworm → wurmzerfressen; riddled with cancer/corruption → vom Krebs/von der Korruption zerfressen; riddled with mistakes/contradictions → voller Fehler/Widersprüche

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riddle²

n → Rätsel nt; I’ll ask you a riddle → ich werde Ihnen ein Rätsel aufgeben; to speak in riddles → in Rätseln sprechen

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riddle¹ [ˈrɪdl] n (puzzle) → indovinello
to speak in riddles → parlare per enigmi

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riddle¹ [ˈrɪdl] n (puzzle) → indovinello
to speak in riddles → parlare per enigmi

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riddle² [ˈrɪdl]

1. vt (soil, coal) → setacciare, vagliare (fig) to riddle with (bullets) → crivellare di
riddled with holes → bucherellato/a
the council was riddled with corruption → la corruzione dilagava nel consiglio

2. n (sieve) → setaccio, vaglio

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riddle² [ˈrɪdl]

1. vt (soil, coal) → setacciare, vagliare (fig) to riddle with (bullets) → crivellare di
riddled with holes → bucherellato/a
the council was riddled with corruption → la corruzione dilagava nel consiglio

2. n (sieve) → setaccio, vaglio

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riddle¹

n riddle [ˈridl]

a puzzle usually in the form of a question, which describes an object, person etc in a mysterious or misleading way Can you guess the answer to this riddle?; The answer to the riddle `What flies for ever, and never rests?' is `The wind'. raaisel لُغْز، أحْجِيَه загадка hádanka gåde das Rätsel αίνιγμα adivinanza, acertijo mõistatus معما؛ چیستان kompakysymys devinette חִידָה पहेली zagonetka találós kérdés teka-teki gáta indovinello なぞなぞ 수수께끼 mįslė mīkla teka-teki raadsel gåte zagadka adivinha ghicitoare загадка hádanka uganka zagonetka gåta ปริศนา bilmece 謎題 загадка پہیلی câu đố 谜语

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riddle²

v riddle [ˈridl]

to make (something) full of holes They riddled the car with bullets. peper يَثْقُب كالغُرْبال надупчвам proděravět gennemhulle durchsieben κάνω κόσκινο, γεμίζω κτ. τρύπες acribillar; cribar sõelapõhjaks tegema سوراخ سوراخ کردن ampua joku seulaksi cribler לְנָקֵב बहुत से छेद करना rešetati, izrešetati szitává lő membuat berlubang-lubang sundurgata crivellare 穴を開ける 구멍투성이로 만들다 išvarpyti izcaurumot membuat banyak lubang doorzeven gjennomhulle/-bore, pepre (po)dziurawić crivar a ciu­rui изрешетить prestrieľať prerešetati rešeto genomborra, peppra เจาะให้เป็นรูพรุน delik deşik etmek 射穿許多洞 зрешечувати چھوٹے چھوٹے سوراخوں سے بھرنا làm thủng lỗ chỗ 把...打得满是窟窿