riddle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   set a difficult problem or riddle

   riddle me a riddle

2. 2
   verb

   pierce with many holes

   The bullets riddled the body of the car.

3. 3
   noun

   A verbal puzzle, mystery, or other problem of an intellectual nature.

   Here's a riddle: It's black, and white, and red all over. What is it?

4. 4
   verb

   To solve, answer, or explicate a riddle or question.

   Riddle me this.

5. 5
   verb

   To put something through a riddle or sieve; to sieve; to sift.

   You have to riddle the gravel before you lay it on the road.

6. 6
   verb

   To fill with holes like a riddle.

   The shots from his gun began to riddle the targets.

7. 7
   verb

   To fill or spread throughout; to pervade (with something destructive or weakening).

   Your argument is riddled with errors.

8. 8
   noun

   a coarse sieve (as for gravel)

Etymology

From Middle English riddil, ridelle (“sieve”), from Old English hriddel (“sieve”), alteration of earlier hridder, hrīder, from Proto-West Germanic *hrīdrā, from Proto-Germanic *hrīdrą, *hrīdrǭ (“sieve”), from Proto-Germanic *hrid- (“to shake”), from Proto-Indo-European *krey-. Akin to German Reiter (“sieve”), Old Norse hreinn (“pure, clean”), Old High German hreini (“pure, clean”), Gothic 𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (hrains, “clean, pure”). More at rinse.