riddling
riddling Lexical Profile
riddling Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Speaking in, resembling, or characterized by riddles; enigmatic, cryptic, or puzzling.
"The oracle delivered a riddling prophecy that left the petitioners debating its true meaning for days."
• noun
In sparkling wine production, the process of periodically rotating and tilting inverted bottles so that yeast sediment collects in the neck for removal.
"Traditional champagne production requires weeks of careful riddling before the sediment is finally disgorged."
The act or practice of speaking in or propounding riddles.
"Tired of his constant riddling, the council demanded a plain and honest answer."
The action of sifting gravel, soil, grain, or cinders through a coarse sieve, or the coarse material separated out by this process.
"After an hour of riddling the garden soil, she had a neat pile of fine earth ready for planting."
• Rhymes for riddling
Word Origin & Etymology
The sense relating to puzzles and enigmatic speech derives from Old English 'rǣdels' (counsel, opinion, or conjecture), whereas the sense of sifting or winemaking comes from Old English 'hriddel' (a coarse sieve).