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Webster 1913 Edition

Riddle

Rid′dle

(rĭd′d’l)
,
Noun.
[OE.
ridil
, AS.
hridder
; akin to G.
reiter
, L.
cribrum
, and to Gr.
κρίνειν
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.

Rid′dle

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Riddled
(rĭd′d’ld)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Riddling
(rĭd′dlĭng)
.]
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.
[For
riddels
, s being misunderstood as the plural ending; OE.
ridels
,
redels
. AS. rǣdels; akin to D.
raadsel
, G.
räthsel
; fr. AS.
rǣdan
to counsel or advise, also, to guess. √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.

Rid′dle

,
Verb.
T.
To explain; to solve; to unriddle.
Riddle
me this, and guess him if you can.
Dryden.

Rid′dle

,
Verb.
I.
To speak ambiguously or enigmatically.
“
Lysander
riddles very prettily.”
Shak.

Webster 1828 Edition

Riddle

RID'DLE

,
Noun.
[See Cradle.]
An instrument for cleaning grain, being a large sieve with a perforated button, which permits the grain to pass through it, but retains the chaff.

RID'DLE

,
Verb.
T.
To separate, as grain from the chaff with a riddle; as, to riddle wheat. [Note. The machines now used have nearly superseded the riddle.]

RID'DLE

,
Noun.
[See Read.]
1.
An enigma; something proposed for conjecture, or that is to be solved by conjecture; a puzzling question; an ambiguous proposition. Judges 14.
2.
Any thing ambiguous or puzzling.

RID'DLE

,
Verb.
T.
To solve; to explain; but we generally use unriddle, which is more proper.
Riddle me this, and guess him if you can.

RID'DLE

,
Verb.
I.
To speak ambiguously, obscurely or enigmatically.

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