Link Centre Dictionary

enigma

UK/ɪˈnɪɡmə/ US/əˈnɪɡmə/ uncommon

noun

1.

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

  • “how it got out is a mystery”
  • “it remains one of nature”

Origin

From Latin aenigma (“riddle”), being derived itself from the Ancient Greek verbal noun αἴνιγμα (aínigma, “dark saying, speaking in riddles”).

Phrases

  • crossword enigma
  • enigma canon
  • Enigma machine
  • riddle wrapped in an enigma

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.