riddle
7
9.9
- noun
- /ˈrɪdəl/
- Archaic
:
criba
- He poured the ashes through the riddle to separate the larger particles from the fine dust.
Examples
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The construction workers used a large riddle to sift the gravel for the new foundation.
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To prepare the soil for planting, she used a riddle to remove rocks and debris.
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You are talking in riddles again.
Fiction book (2001) -
There's an old riddle about two tribes of Indians.
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It's not a riddle.
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Is that a riddle?
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In this case, pertaining to one individual, Voldemort, or, as he was known then, Tom Riddle.
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The oracle of Apollo, the god of the sun, of wisdom, and of philosophy, gives advice indirectly: she produces an image, riddle, or ambiguous utterance which we must interpret.
Academic text (1991)
Synonyms
18
2.4
A device with small holes that separates solids from liquids
3
2.8
A kitchen tool with small holes used to remove lumps from flour and make it light
A tool that removes stones and clumps from fine soil
A garden tool that separates soil from stones and debris
Idioms
- Informal
1
9.7
Something or someone that is very mysterious and hard to understand
Compounds
- Specialized
A musical piece where players solve clues to know when to start playing
How Fine
Surface Forms
Etymology
Riddle for a coarse sieve comes from an old English word for a screen used to separate big from small pieces, much like a sieve. So a riddle 'sifts' gravel or compost.