jigsaw puzzle

American  

[jig-saw puhz-uhl] / ˈdʒɪgˌsɔ ˌpʌz əl /

noun

• jigsaw puzzles
  plural

1. Also called picture puzzle. a set of irregularly cut pieces of pasteboard, wood, or the like that form a picture or design when fitted together.

2. any complex, confusing situation, condition, or item, as one composed of seemingly diverse or unrelated elements.

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jigsaw puzzle British  

noun

1. a puzzle in which the player has to reassemble a picture that has been mounted on a wooden or cardboard base and cut into a large number of irregularly shaped interlocking pieces

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• jigsaw puzzles
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of jigsaw puzzle

First recorded in 1905–10

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jigsaw puzzle

I often ask an audience: what is the most important piece of a jigsaw puzzle?

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

“Putting together a multicamera episode is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle — I just try to make it look as seamless as possible,” says Chris Poulos, the editor of “The Neighborhood.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

"We're not long-term puzzlers, but somehow a jigsaw puzzle was on the end of the dining table in the family house last Christmas," she explained.

From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2025

"This incident is more complex than a 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle," Leung told AFP.

From Barron's ● Dec. 2, 2025

There were several scraggly ferns hanging from the ceiling and an unfinished jigsaw puzzle on a small table in the center of the room.

From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo

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