/ kəˈnʌndrəm; NAmE / noun
1.
a confusing problem or question that is very difficult to solve
2.
a question, usually involving a trick with words, that you ask for fun
SYN riddle
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: of unknown origin, but first recorded in a work by Thomas Nashe, as a term of abuse for an eccentric or pedant, later coming to denote a whim or fancy, also a pun. Current senses date from the late 17th cent.