riddle : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: riddle	by the DICT Development Group
8 results for riddle
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
riddle n a difficult problem [syn: riddle, conundrum, enigma, brain-teaser] a coarse sieve (as for gravel) v pierce with many holes; "The bullets riddled his body" set a difficult problem or riddle; "riddle me a riddle" separate with a riddle, as grain from chaff Synonym(s): riddle, screen 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" Synonym(s): permeate, pervade, penetrate, interpenetrate, diffuse, imbue, riddle speak in riddles explain a riddle
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Riddle \Rid"dle\, n. [For riddels, s being misunderstood as the plural ending; OE. ridels, redels. AS. r[?]dels; akin to D. raadsel, G. r[84]thsel; fr. AS. r[?]dan to counsel or advise, also, to guess. [root]116. Cf. {Read}.] 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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Riddle \Rid"dle\, v. t. To explain; to solve; to unriddle. Riddle me this, and guess him if you can. --Dryden.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Riddle \Rid"dle\, n. [OE. ridil, AS. hridder; akin to G. reiter, L. cribrum, and to Gr. [?][?][?] to distinguish, separate, and G. rein clean. See {Crisis}, {Certain}.] 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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Riddle \Rid"dle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Riddled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Riddling}.] 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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Riddle \Rid"dle\, v. i. To speak ambiguously or enigmatically. [bd]Lysander riddels very prettily.[b8] --Shak.
From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:
Riddle, OR (city, FIPS 61850) Location: 42.95370 N, 123.36612 W Population (1990): 1143 (427 housing units) Area: 1.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 97469
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Riddle (Heb. hodah). The oldest and, strictly speaking, the only example of a riddle was that propounded by Samson (Judg. 14:12-18). The parabolic prophecy in Ezek. 17:2-18 is there called a "riddle." It was rather, however, an allegory. The word "darkly" in 1 Cor. 13:12 is the rendering of the Greek enigma; marg., "in a riddle."