puzzle

Etymology

Origin uncertain; originally pusle. Possibly from pose (“to perplex, puzzle, interrogate”) +‎ -le (frequentative suffix). The verb (1590s) “to perplex” seems to predate the noun “state of being perplexed” (circa 1600), “perplexing question” (1650s), “toy” (1814).^[1]

Pronunciation

• enPR: pŭzʹəl, IPA^(key): /ˈpʌzəl/

• Audio (Canada):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌzəl

Noun

puzzle (plural puzzles)

1. Anything that is difficult to understand or make sense of.

   Where he went after he left the house is a puzzle.

2. A game for one or more people that is more or less difficult to work out or complete.
3. A crossword puzzle.
4. A jigsaw puzzle.
5. A riddle.
6. (archaic) Something made with marvellous skill; something of ingenious construction.
7. The state of being puzzled; perplexity.

   to be in a puzzle

Verb

puzzle (third-person singular simple present puzzles, present participle puzzling, simple past and past participle puzzled)

1. (transitive) To perplex, confuse, or mystify; to cause (someone) to be faced with a mystery, without answers or an explanation.
   • 1634 September 1 (Gregorian calendar), Robert Sanderson, “[Ad Clerum.] The Fourth Sermon. At a Metropolitical Visitation at Grantham, Lincoln, 22 August 1634.”, in XXXIV Sermons. […], 5th edition, London: […] [A. Clark] for A. Seil, and are to be sold by G. Sawbridge, […], published 1671, →OCLC, paragraph 15, page 65:

     Mens daily occaſions for themſelves or friends, and the neceſities of common life, require the doing of a thouſand things vvithin the compaſs of a fevv dayes, for vvhich it vvould puzzle the beſt Textman that liveth; readily to bethink himself of a ſentence in the Bible, clear enough to ſatisfie a ſcrupulous conſcience of the lavvfulneſs and expediency of vvhat he is about to do; […]

   • 1668, Franciscus Euistor the Palæopolite [pseudonym; Henry More], “(please specify the page)”, in Divine Dialogues, Containing Sundry Disquisitions & Instructions Concerning the Attributes of God and His Providence in the World. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Joseph Downing […], published 1713, →OCLC:

     A very shrewd disputant in those points is dexterous in puzzling others, if they be not thoroughpaced speculators in those great theories.

   • 1712 February 13 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “SATURDAY, February 2, 1711–1712”, in The Spectator, number 291; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:

     He is perpetually puzzled and perplexed amidst his own blunders.

     The spelling has been modernized.

   • 1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 4, in Pulling the Strings:

     The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff.

   • 2004, George Carlin, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?‎, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 261:

     When it comes to God’s existence, I’m not an atheist and I’m not an agnostic. I’m an acrostic. The whole thing puzzles me.

2. (intransitive) To think long and carefully in bewilderment.

   We puzzled over the curious-shaped lock, but were unable to discover how the key should be inserted.

3. (transitive) To make intricate or difficult to resolve; to entangle.
   • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 2:

     The Ways of Heav’n are dark and intricate,
     Puzzled in Mazes, and perplext with Errors;
     Our Underſtanding traces ’em in vain,
     Loſt and bewilder’d in the fruitleſs Search; […]

   • 1782–1785, William Cowper, “(please specify the page)”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson;  […], →OCLC:

     They disentangle from the puzzled skein.

Related terms

• puzzlement

References

Anagrams

• puzzel

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpazl̩]
• (nonstandard, hyperforeign) IPA^(key): [ˈput͡slɛ]

Noun

puzzle m inan or n or f

1. jigsaw puzzle

References

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pœ.zœl/, /pœzl/, /pyzl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

puzzle m (plural puzzles)

1. jigsaw puzzle

Further reading

• “puzzle”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpaːzl̩], [ˈpaːzəl] (also with a short [a])
• Hyphenation: puzzle (cannot be hyphenated)
• Rhymes: -əl

Noun

puzzle (plural puzzle-ök or puzzle-ok or puzzle-k)^[1][2]

1. jigsaw puzzle

   Synonyms: (képes) kirakó/kirakójáték, kirakós (játék), képkirakó/képkirakós (játék), (rare) pázli

See also

• kirak (“to do [a jigsaw puzzle]”)

References

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpad.d͡zol/
  • Rhymes: -addzol
• IPA^(key): (careful style) /ˈpa.zol/, (careful style) /ˈpa.zel/^[1]
  • Rhymes: (careful style) -azol, (careful style) -azel

Noun

puzzle m (invariable)

1. jigsaw puzzle
2. (by extension) a difficult problem

References

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle, with a hyperforeign alternative pronunciation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpu.zlɛ/, (nonstandard) /ˈpu.t͡slɛ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uzlɛ, -ut͡slɛ
• Syllabification: puzz‧le

Noun

puzzle nvir pl

1. jigsaw puzzle (type of puzzle in which the aim is to reconstruct a picture that has been cut (originally, with a jigsaw) into many small interlocking pieces)

Noun

puzzle m animal

1. nominative/accusative/vocative plural of puzzel

Further reading

• puzzle in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• puzzle in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• puzzle in PWN's encyclopedia

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

Noun

puzzle m (plural puzzles)

1. jigsaw puzzle

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English puzzle.

Noun

puzzle n (plural puzzle-uri)

1. puzzle

Alternative forms

• puzle

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /ˈpuθle/ [ˈpuθ.le]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /ˈpusle/ [ˈpus.le]
• Rhymes: -uθle
• Rhymes: -usle
• Syllabification: puzz‧le

Noun

puzzle m (plural puzzles)

1. jigsaw puzzle

Alternative forms

• pazıl

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpa.zɯɫ/

Noun

puzzle (definite accusative puzzle'ı, plural puzzle'lar)

1. jigsaw puzzle

   Synonyms: pazıl, yapboz

Further reading

• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “puzzle”, in Nişanyan Sözlük