sudoku

[ soo-doh-koo ]

noun

1. a puzzle printed on a square grid of nine large squares each subdivided into nine smaller squares, the object of which is to fill in each of the 81 squares so that each column, row, and large square contains every number from 1 to 9.

sudoku

/ səˈdəʊkuː /

noun

1. a type of puzzle in which numbers must be arranɡed within a ɡrid contaninɡ several internal squares so that no number is repeated in the same row, column, or internal square

Word History and Origins

Origin of sudoku¹

2000–05; < Japanese sū- (< sūji number) + -doku (< dokushin being single)

Word History and Origins

Origin of sudoku¹

C21: from Japanese su number + doku single

Example Sentences

Waiting for a concert to begin, she’ll chip away at crosswords, sudoku grids and the New York Times' Spelling Bee to keep her nerves at bay.

From BBC

After a gymnast friend put him on to "killer sudoku," Nedoroscik became the 43rd person in the world to solve a sudoku puzzle that claimed to be the "world's hardest."

From Salon

Michael Bennet of Colorado had a thick book on U.S. engagement with Asia on his desk while his Colorado colleague John Hickenlooper had what appeared to be a sudoku puzzle clipped out of a newspaper.

From Slate

For her, it’s doing number puzzles like sudoku.

From Los Angeles Times

Maki Kaji, a Japanese man who was known as the “Father of Sudoku,” has passed away from cancer at the age of 69.

From NewsForKids.net