different between puzzle vs nonplus

English

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).

Pronunciation

• enPR: p?z??l, IPA^(key): /?p?z?l/
• Rhymes: -?z?l

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

Synonyms

• (anything difficult to understand or make sense of): anybody's guess, anyone's guess, conundrum, enigma, mystery
• (game for one person): brain-teaser, poser
• (crossword puzzle): crossword, crossword puzzle
• (jigsaw puzzle):: jigsaw, jigsaw puzzle
• (riddle): guessing game, riddle

Derived terms

Translations

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.
   • 1688, Henry More, Divine Dialogues

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

   • He is perpetually puzzled and perplexed amidst his own blunders.
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; to entangle.

   • The ways of Heav'n are dark and intricate, / Puzzled in mazes, and perplex'd with error.

   • They disentangle from the puzzled skein.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:confuse

Derived terms

Translations

Related terms

• puzzlement

References

Anagrams

• puzzel

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?pazl?]
• (nonstandard, hyperforeign) IPA^(key): [?put?sl?]

Noun

puzzle m

1. jigsaw puzzle

Usage notes

Also used as an indeclinable noun of various genders, most often neuter.

Although the standard pronunciation of this word, which has been borrowed from English, is /?pazl?/, another common informal pronunciation is /?put?sle/, which is a hyperforeignism, trying to apply either Italian (as in pizza) or more probably German pronunciation rules. However, both Italian and German pronunciation of the word puzzle is different.

Declension

References

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pœ.zœl/, /pœzl/

Noun

puzzle m (plural puzzles)

1. jigsaw puzzle

Further reading

• “puzzle” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.

Noun

puzzle m (invariable)

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

Polish

Etymology

From English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?puz.l?/
• IPA^(key): /?put?s.l?/ (nonstandard)

Noun

puzzle m inan

1. jigsaw puzzle

Declension

Derived terms

• (noun) puzzel

Further reading

• puzzle in Wielki s?ownik j?zyka polskiego, Instytut J?zyka Polskiego PAN
• puzzle in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Spanish

Alternative forms

• puzle

Etymology

Borrowed from English puzzle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /?pu?le/, [?pu?.le]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /?pusle/, [?pus.le]

Noun

puzzle m (plural puzzles)

1. jigsaw puzzle

English

Etymology

From Latin n?n pl?s (“no more, no further”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n?n?pl?s/

Noun

nonplus (plural nonpluses)

1. A state of perplexity or bewilderment.
   • Both of them are a perfect non-plus and baffle to all human understanding.

Verb

nonplus (third-person singular simple present nonplusses or nonpluses, present participle nonplussing or nonplusing, simple past and past participle nonplussed or nonplused)

1. (transitive) to perplex or bewilder someone; to confound or flummox

Derived terms

• nonplussed

Translations