Which Came First: Jigsaw or Puzzle? The Jigsaw Puzzle (1760s)

The jigsaw puzzle came first as a specific type.

• Jigsaw Puzzle: Invented ~1760s by John Spilsbury (London mapmaker). He mounted maps on wood and cut along borders ("dissected maps") for geography education. The term "jigsaw" came later with the fret saw.
• Puzzle (General): The word/concept existed centuries earlier—any perplexing problem or toy (e.g., riddles, puzzle boxes, burr puzzles).

So: Puzzles (general) → ancient. Jigsaw puzzles (specific) → 1760s.