Definition
Something mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand; a person or thing whose behavior or nature is hard to fathom. Can also refer to the Enigma machine, the encryption device used during World War II.
Example Usage
Her motives remained an enigma even after she explained herself.
Origin
From Greek 'ainigma,' meaning riddle or obscure speech, via Latin into Middle English and modern European languages.
Fun Fact
The Enigma machine's cryptographic code was famously broken by mathematicians at Bletchley Park during WWII, a feat many historians credit with shortening the war significantly.
Source: Definition backfill (hailey)
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