1590s, pusle "bewilder, confound," possibly frequentative of pose (v.) in obsolete sense of "perplex" (compare nuzzle from nose). Related: Puzzled; puzzling.
puzzle (n.)
c. 1600, "state of being puzzled," from puzzle (v.); meaning "perplexing question" is from 1650s; that of "a toy contrived to test one's ingenuity" is from 1814.
We puzzled over her sudden departure
he loved to solve chessmate puzzles
putter
putti
putty
putz
puy
puzzle
puzzlement
puzzler
puzzling
pvc
pwned
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