Chinese puzzle
1
9.6
- noun
:
puzzle chino
Examples
-
"This investigation is like putting together a Chinese puzzle."
Fiction book (1993) -
He made Chinese puzzle boxes.
-
The antique dealer showcased a beautifully crafted Chinese puzzle that had hidden compartments.
-
She spent hours trying to solve the intricate Chinese puzzle her grandmother had given her.
-
Each layer of the Chinese puzzle revealed a new challenge that tested their patience.
Synonyms
610
1.9
A game or problem that tests how well you think
5
6.7
A difficult question or problem for people to solve
4
6.3
A tricky question or puzzle that tests your skill
3
6.5
A hard puzzle that needs careful thought to solve
1
5.1
A difficult puzzle that needs careful thinking to solve
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'puzzle' provides the core meaning (a problem to be solved) while 'Chinese' marks an origin or exotic/complex quality, so learners can guess it refers to a kind of puzzle. However, the conventionalized sense—a specifically intricate, ingenious or tricky mechanical puzzle—goes beyond the literal combination and is not fully predictable from the parts without exposure, and cross-linguistic parallels are variable. Therefore it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Chinese puzzle may come from old wooden puzzle boxes with secret parts that you had to move in a special order to open. Because those boxes were hard to open, people started using Chinese puzzle to describe anything 'difficult to solve'.