Riddle

What “Riddle” means

Noun

1. A verbal puzzle, mystery, or other problem of an intellectual nature.
2. An ancient verbal, poetic, or literary form, in which, rather than a rhyme scheme, there are parallel opposing expressions with a hidden meaning.

Verb

1. To speak ambiguously or enigmatically.
2. To solve, answer, or explicate a riddle or question.

Noun

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 with a row of pins, set zigzag, between which wire is drawn to straighten it.

Verb

1. To put something through a riddle or sieve; to sieve; to sift.
2. To fill with holes like a riddle.
3. To fill or spread throughout; to pervade (with something destructive or weakening).

Where the word comes from

From Middle English redel, redels, from Old English rǣdels, rǣdelse (“counsel, opinion, imagination, riddle”), from Proto-West Germanic *rādislī (“counsel, conjecture”). Analyzable as rede (“advice”) + -le. Akin to Old English rǣdan (“to read, advise, interpret”). Cognate with Dutch raadsel, German Rätsel.

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.

Business name ideas with “Riddle”

Industries where “Riddle” fits

We suggest this word for 2 business types and industries, including:

• Escape Room
• All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries