puzzlern.
/ˈpʌzlə/, /ˈpʌzl̩ə/, U.S. /ˈpəz(ə)lər/ A person who or thing which puzzles. Also: one who devises or attempts to solve puzzles.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > secrecy, concealment > a profound secret, mystery > puzzle, enigma, riddle > [noun]
riddleOE
purposec1350
problema1382
propositiona1382
conclusion1393
divinailc1430
opposal?a1439
riddling?c1475
wordc1480
why1532
dark, hard sentence1535
enigma1539
remblere1599
puzzlement1646
gripha1652
puzzler1651
riddlemy riddlemy1652
puzzle1655
crux1718
teaser1759
puzzleation1767
conundrum1790
poser1793
riddle-me-ree1805
stumper1807
tickler1825
sticker1849
brain-teaser1850
grueller1856
question mark1870
brain-twister1878
skull-buster1926
mind-bender1968
society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > puzzle > [noun] > player of
puzzler1872
1651 in R. Watkins Newes from Dead 9 Death's Puzler! Self-surviver! thy strange fate Do's contradictions Legitimate. Entwisted Miracles constellate here, And Complicated Wonders Co-insphere.
1661 A. Brome Songs & Other Poems sig. S2v Hebrew the general puzler of old heads.
1708 Refl. Bulkeley's Answer Several Treat. 23 But to let that pass, What does this Puzzler mean?
1762 J. Hall-Stevenson Crazy Tales 93 Benevolence, say these puzzlers and confounders, is just the same as riding of the bounders.
1821 Ld. Byron Let. 16 Nov. (1979) IX. 61 You say it is ‘a puzzler’—do you mean a puzzler to understand—or to answer?
1872 (title) The Puzzler's Manual, or monthly journal of enigmatical amusements.
1937 Amer. Mag. Mar. 33/2 The most expert puzzlers in the country spend several days putting together word-squares.
2006 News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) (Nexis) 4 Aug. (Entertainment) f24 They've crafted a..puzzler that keeps you guessing..how much of what Williams' character believes to be true actually is.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1651