Riddlings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection of puzzling questions or enigmata that challenge the intellect
2. Delicate bits or fragments of a puzzle or problem that require thoughtful consideration to solve
3. Intricate problems or riddles that invite analysis and critical thinking to uncover their meanings

Etymology: "Riddlings" is simply the plural of "riddling," so its story is really the story of "riddle" and the sieve it once named. In Middle English, "riddil" or "ridelle" meant a sieve, a sense that survives in the verb "riddle" meaning to pierce with holes, as bullets riddle a wall. The connection to puzzles runs through a different Old English ancestor: "rǣdels" and "rǣdelse," words meaning counsel, opinion, imagination, or riddle, which gave Middle English "redel" and "redels." Two separate lines of descent thus merged into one spelling, and English speakers came to use "riddle" for both the strainer and the enigma. Because "riddling" is a plural form, it simply gathers many such puzzles together into one collection.

Synonyms: puzzles, conundrums, enigmas

Antonyms: answers