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puzzle

Pronunciation: /ˈpʌzəl/

The English word “puzzle” has 11 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. The state of feeling confused or mystified because one cannot understand a complicated matter, a problem, etc.; bewilderment, confusion; (countable) often in in a puzzle: an instance of this.
  2. A thing such as a complicated matter or a problem which is difficult to make sense of or understand; also, a person who is difficult to make sense of or understand; an enigma.
  3. Often preceded by a descriptive word: a game or toy, or a problem, requiring some effort to complete or work out, which is intended as a pastime and/or to test one's mental ability.

verb

  1. To cause (oneself or someone, or their mind, etc.) to feel confused or mystified because they cannot understand a complicated matter, a problem, etc.; to confuse, to mystify, to perplex.
  2. To use (one's brain or mind) to try to work out a complicated matter, a problem, etc.; also, to try to work out (a complicated matter, a problem, etc.).
  3. To (intentionally) make (something) complicated or confused, and so difficult to resolve or understand; to confuse, to complicate.
  4. To cause (someone) to not know what to do due to some problem, situation, etc.; to bewilder, to confound, to perplex.
  5. Often followed by about, over, or upon: to feel confused or mystified because one cannot understand a complicated matter, a problem, etc.
  6. Often followed by about, over, or or upon: to think deeply in bewilderment to try to work out a complicated matter, a problem, etc.
  7. To search in a confused or mystified manner.
  8. Followed by through: to solve a complicated matter, a problem, etc., by working through confusing or difficult matters.

Etymology

The verb, of uncertain origin, is attested first. Apparently cognate with Scots pousle, pouzle, poozle (“to trifle; poke or potter around aimlessly; search about with uncertainty”), Saterland Frisian puzelje (“to work hard and continuously”), West Frisian peuzelje (“to trifle, work slowly; eat slowly and daintifully, snack”), Dutch peuzelen (“to perform insignificant work, dawdle; pick at, eat…

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.