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cipher

View usage for:

cipher

(saɪfəʳ) also cypher

Word forms: plural ciphers

1. countable noun

A cipher is a secret system of writing that you use to send messages.

...converting their messages into ciphers.

During World War II he worked as a cipher clerk.

2. countable noun

If you describe someone as a cipher, you mean that they have no power and are used by other people to achieve a particular purpose.

He was little more than a cipher who faithfully carried out his boss's commands.

Synonyms: nobody, nonentity, non-person More Synonyms of cipher

More Synonyms of cipher

cipher in British English

or 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

4. an obsolete name for zero (sense 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

8. 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

10. (intransitive)

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

11. rare

to perform (a calculation) arithmetically

Word origin

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

cipher in American English

(ˈsaɪfər)

noun

the symbol 0, indicating a value of zero

a person or thing of no importance or value

a system of secret writing based on a key, or set of predetermined rules or symbols

a message in such writing

the key to such a system

Examples of 'cipher' in a sentence
cipher

To return to the particular is perhaps to reduce her strange story to a mere cipher.When did shoes become a social cipher?All his successes have been internal party ones: to the outside world he remains a cipher.The cipher becomes a dancer.It issued the points in its own name and on its own behalf: it was not a mere cipher for the sponsors.It was inevitable that for each their rival should grow to monstrous scale and, deprived of humanity, become a cipher for predatory threat.

1 (noun) in the sense of code

Definition

a secret message

The codebreakers cracked the cipher.

Synonyms

code

They used elaborate secret codes.

coded message

cryptogram

cryptograph

2 (noun) in the sense of nobody

Definition

a person or thing of no importance

They were little more than ciphers who faithfully carried out their master's commands.

Synonyms

nobody

A man in my position has nothing to fear from a nobody like you.

nonentity

She was written off after that as a political nonentity.

non-person

3 (noun) in the sense of symbol

Synonyms

symbol

The artist uses the oak tree as a symbol of strength.

figure

Deduct the second figure from the first.

character

Chinese characters inscribed on a plaque

digit

Her telephone number differs from mine by one digit.

number

None of the doors have numbers on them.

numeral

a flat, square wristwatch with roman numerals

4 (noun) in the sense of monogram

Synonyms

monogram

mark

Each book was adorned with the publisher's mark at the bottom of the spine.

device

logo

The letter bore no company name or logo.

5 (noun) in the sense of zero

Definition

the numeral zero

(obsolete)

Synonyms

zero

a scale ranging from zero to seven

nothing (informal)

I went from being a complete nothing to having people call me a star.

nil

The chances of success are virtually nil.

nought

Properties are graded from nought to ten for energy efficiency.

Additional synonyms

in the sense of character

Definition

a single letter, numeral, or symbol used in writing or printing

Chinese characters inscribed on a plaque

Synonyms

symbol,

mark,

sign,

letter,

figure,

type,

device,

logo,

emblem,

rune,

cipher,

hieroglyph

in the sense of device

Definition

a design or emblem

Synonyms

emblem,

figure,

design,

symbol,

token,

logo,

badge,

crest,

motif,

motto,

insignia,

colophon

in the sense of digit

Definition

any numeral from 0 to 9

Her telephone number differs from mine by one digit.

Synonyms

number,

figure,

numeral,

integer

Nearby words of
cipher

cigarette
cigarette cards
cinema
cipher
circa
circle
circuit

Synonyms of 'cipher'

cipher

Explore 'cipher' in the dictionary

单词	cipher
释义	Trends of cipher View usage for: cipher (saɪfəʳ) also cypher Word forms: plural ciphers 1. countable noun A cipher is a secret system of writing that you use to send messages. ...converting their messages into ciphers. During World War II he worked as a cipher clerk. 2. countable noun If you describe someone as a cipher, you mean that they have no power and are used by other people to achieve a particular purpose. He was little more than a cipher who faithfully carried out his boss's commands. Synonyms: nobody, nonentity, non-person More Synonyms of cipher More Synonyms of cipher cipher in British English or cypher (ˈsaɪfə) noun 1. a method of secret writing using substitution or transposition of letters according to a key 2. a secret message 3. the key to a secret message 4. an obsolete name for zero (sense 1) 5. any of the Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, etc, to 9) or the Arabic system of numbering as a whole 6. a person or thing of no importance; nonentity 7. a design consisting of interwoven letters; monogram 8. music a defect in an organ resulting in the continuous sounding of a pipe, the key of which has not been depressed verb 9. to put (a message) into secret writing 10. (intransitive) (of an organ pipe) to sound without having the appropriate key depressed 11. rare to perform (a calculation) arithmetically Word origin C14: from Old French cifre zero, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic sifr zero, empty cipher in American English (ˈsaɪfər) noun 1. the symbol 0, indicating a value of zero 2. a person or thing of no importance or value 3. a. a system of secret writing based on a key, or set of predetermined rules or symbols b. a message in such writing c. the key to such a system see also code 4. an intricate weaving together of letters, as a monogram 5. an Arabic numeral verb intransitive, verb transitive Rare 6. to solve (an arithmetic problem) 7. to write in or with a cipher (sense 3) cipher (sense 3a)) Word origin ME cifre < OFr cyfre < ML cifra < Ar ṣifr, ṣefr, a cipher, nothing < ṣafara, to be empty Examples of 'cipher' in a sentence cipher To return to the particular is perhaps to reduce her strange story to a mere cipher. The Times Literary Supplement (2014) When did shoes become a social cipher? Times, Sunday Times (2008) All his successes have been internal party ones: to the outside world he remains a cipher. Times, Sunday Times (2007) The cipher becomes a dancer. Times, Sunday Times (2007) It issued the points in its own name and on its own behalf: it was not a mere cipher for the sponsors. Times, Sunday Times (2013) It was inevitable that for each their rival should grow to monstrous scale and, deprived of humanity, become a cipher for predatory threat. Jane Dunn ELIZABETH AND MARY: Cousins, Rivals, Queens (2003) 1 (noun) in the sense of code Definition a secret message The codebreakers cracked the cipher. Synonyms code They used elaborate secret codes. coded message cryptogram cryptograph 2 (noun) in the sense of nobody Definition a person or thing of no importance They were little more than ciphers who faithfully carried out their master's commands. Synonyms nobody A man in my position has nothing to fear from a nobody like you. nonentity She was written off after that as a political nonentity. non-person 3 (noun) in the sense of symbol Synonyms symbol The artist uses the oak tree as a symbol of strength. figure Deduct the second figure from the first. character Chinese characters inscribed on a plaque digit Her telephone number differs from mine by one digit. number None of the doors have numbers on them. numeral a flat, square wristwatch with roman numerals 4 (noun) in the sense of monogram Synonyms monogram mark Each book was adorned with the publisher's mark at the bottom of the spine. device logo The letter bore no company name or logo. 5 (noun) in the sense of zero Definition the numeral zero (obsolete) Synonyms zero a scale ranging from zero to seven nothing (informal) I went from being a complete nothing to having people call me a star. nil The chances of success are virtually nil. nought Properties are graded from nought to ten for energy efficiency. Additional synonyms in the sense of character Definition a single letter, numeral, or symbol used in writing or printing Chinese characters inscribed on a plaque Synonyms symbol, mark, sign, letter, figure, type, device, logo, emblem, rune, cipher, hieroglyph in the sense of device Definition a design or emblem Synonyms emblem, figure, design, symbol, token, logo, badge, crest, motif, motto, insignia, colophon in the sense of digit Definition any numeral from 0 to 9 Her telephone number differs from mine by one digit. Synonyms number, figure, numeral, integer Nearby words of cipher cigarette cigarette cards cinema cipher circa circle circuit Synonyms of 'cipher' cipher Explore 'cipher' in the dictionary
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Trends ofcipher

cipher

cipher in British English

cipher in American English

Examples of 'cipher' in a sentencecipher

Additional synonyms

Nearby words ofcipher

Synonyms of 'cipher'

cipher

Trends of
cipher

Examples of 'cipher' in a sentence
cipher

Nearby words of
cipher