1
- a question or statement intentionally phrased so as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning, typically presented as a game谜, 谜语。
1.1
- a person, event, or fact that is difficult to understand or explain谜一般的人（或事）：
the riddle of her death.
她的死亡之谜。
no obj.
1- archaic speak in or pose riddles〈古〉打谜语般地说; 出谜：
he who knows not how to riddle.
不会说让人摸不到头脑的话的人。
1.1
- with two objs solve or explain (a riddle) to (someone)猜（某人）出的（谜）, 为（某人）解（谜）：
riddle me this then.
那就猜我这个谜语（或为我解这个谜）。
短语
talk（或speak）in riddles
- express oneself in an ambiguous or puzzling manner说谜语般的话。
派生词
riddler
noun词源
Old English rǣdels, rǣdelse 'opinion, conjecture, riddle'; related to Dutch raadsel, German Rätsel, also to READ.
with obj.
1
- （一般作be riddled）make many holes in (someone or something), especially with gunshot（尤指枪击）多处洞穿, 把…打得满是窟窿：
his car was riddled by sniper fire.
他的车给狙击手射得千疮百孔。
1.1
- fill or permeate (someone or something), especially with something unpleasant or undesirable（尤指令人不快之事）充斥, 布满：
the existing law is riddled with loopholes.
现行法律漏洞百出。
2
- pass (a substance) through a large coarse sieve用粗筛筛：
for final potting, the soil mixture is not riddled.
最后盆栽时, 混合土不用粗筛过。
2.1
- remove ashes or other unwanted material from (something, especially a fire or stove) in such a way使灰（或其他废弃物）从（某物, 尤指炉或灶）中被筛下。
- a large coarse sieve, especially one used for separating ashes from cinders or sand from gravel粗筛; 炉栅; （筛沙的）格筛。
词源
late Old English hriddel, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Latin cribrum 'sieve', cernere 'separate', and Greek krinein 'decide'.