cypher

[ sahy-fer ]

/ ˈsaɪ fər /

noun, verb (used with or without object) Chiefly British.

cipher.

Words nearby cypher

cynthia, cynwulf, cyo, cyod, cyperaceous, cypher, cypress, cypress knee, cypress pine, cypress spurge, cypress vine

Definition for cypher (2 of 2)

cipher

[ sahy-fer ]

/ ˈsaɪ fər /

noun

zero.

any of the Arabic numerals or figures.

Arabic numerical notation collectively.

something of no value or importance.

a person of no influence; nonentity.

a secret method of writing, as by transposition or substitution of letters, specially formed symbols, or the like. Compare cryptography.

writing done by such a method; a coded message.

the key to a secret method of writing.

a combination of letters, as the initials of a name, in one design; monogram.

verb (used without object)

to use figures or numerals arithmetically.

to write in or as in cipher.

verb (used with object)

to calculate numerically; figure.

to convert into cipher.

Also especially British, cy·pher.

Origin of cipher

1350–1400; Middle English siphre < Medieval Latin ciphra < Arabic ṣifr empty, zero; translation of Sanskrit śūnyā empty

OTHER WORDS FROM cipher

ci·pher·a·ble, adjective ci·pher·er, noun

Example sentences from the Web for cypher

He plays Commander Alastair Denniston, head of the Government Code and Cypher School (GCCS) at Bletchley Park during World War II.

Charles Dance on Tywin Lannister’s S5 Return, A ‘Game of Thrones’ Movie,’ and Sexy Peter Dinklage |Marlow Stern |November 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He had created a kind of cypher, without any obvious hierarchy of order.

‘A Fiery Tribune’ |Clive Irving |September 1, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Baker's letters were, of course, written in a sort of cypher, several kinds of which he was in the habit of using.

Democracy An American Novel |Henry Adams
The angle of a cypher, which might play the part of a hyphen in ordinary type, alone tells them what numeral is intended.

The Strand Magazine - Vol. 1 - No. 6 - June 1891 |Various

Have you yet the cypher of which I formerly wrote to you, or any copy of it?

The Writings of Thomas Jefferson |Thomas Jefferson
Why, the countess sent a cypher message to say that she had been entirely successful.

The Weight of the Crown |Fred M. White
Parts of the orders were written in cypher which could be interpreted by the initiated.

Ku Klux Klan |J. C. Lester

British Dictionary definitions for cypher (1 of 2)

cypher

/ (ˈsaɪfə) /

noun, verb

a variant spelling of cipher

British Dictionary definitions for cypher (2 of 2)

cipher

cypher

/ (ˈsaɪfə) /

noun

a method of secret writing using substitution or transposition of letters according to a key

a secret message

the key to a secret message

an obsolete name for zero (def. 1)

any of the Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, etc, to 9) or the Arabic system of numbering as a whole

a person or thing of no importance; nonentity

a design consisting of interwoven letters; monogram

music a defect in an organ resulting in the continuous sounding of a pipe, the key of which has not been depressed

verb

to put (a message) into secret writing

(intr) (of an organ pipe) to sound without having the appropriate key depressed

rare to perform (a calculation) arithmetically

Word Origin for cipher

C14: from Old French cifre zero, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic sifr zero, empty

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

cypher

noun, verb (used with or without object) Chiefly British.

Words nearby cypher

Definition for cypher (2 of 2)

noun

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

Origin of cipher

OTHER WORDS FROM cipher

Example sentences from the Web for cypher

British Dictionary definitions for cypher (1 of 2)

noun, verb

British Dictionary definitions for cypher (2 of 2)

cypher

noun

verb

Word Origin for cipher