PUZZLE

I. verb (~d; puzzling) Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1582 transitive verb to offer or represent to (as a person) a problem difficult to solve or a situation difficult to resolve ; challenge mentally, complicate , entangle , to solve with difficulty or ingenuity , intransitive verb to be uncertain as to action or choice, to attempt a solution of a ~ by guesswork or experiment , ~r noun Synonyms: see: ~ II. noun Date: circa 1612 the state of being ~d ; perplexity , 2. something that ~s, a question, problem, or contrivance designed for testing ingenuity, see: mystery