cipher

1 of 2

noun

ci·pher ˈsī-fər How to pronounce cipher (audio)

often attributive

: zero sense 1a

: one that has no weight, worth, or influence : nonentity

It was an odd fact that the financier, a cipher in his own home, could impress all sorts of people at the office.

P. G. Wodehouse

Why did the family, I wondered, act as if Rita hardly existed? Was she that much of a cipher?

Andrew M. Greeley

: a method of transforming a text in order to conceal its meaning

secret communications written in cipher

compare code sense 3b

: a message in code

The cipher cannot be decoded without the key.

: arabic numeral

: a combination of symbolic letters

especially : the interwoven initials of a name

coins that bore the cipher of the sultan

cipher

2 of 2

verb

ciphered; ciphering ˈsī-f(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce cipher (audio)

intransitive verb

: to use figures in a mathematical process

all children should learn to read, write, and cipher

M. Pattison

transitive verb

: encipher

ciphered the letters that passed between the two heads of state

: to compute arithmetically

ciphered out the sum in his head

Synonyms

Noun

aught
goose egg
naught
nought
nil
nothing
o
oh
zero
zilch
zip

Verb

calculate
compute
figure
reckon
work out

See all Synonyms & Antonyms

Example Sentences

Noun a cipher that can't be decoded She was nothing more than a cipher. Verb were surprised by how much we had spent on the cruise after we had ciphered out the grand total

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Despite her 70-year reign, only about 60% of the country’s post boxes were installed under Queen Elizabeth, according to the Royal Mail, while 15% remain from the time of George V, and even some remain bearing the cipher of Queen Victoria.

Eliot Brown, WSJ, 10 Sep. 2022 But a cipher is only as strong as its weakest link.

WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022 The Playfair cipher is an incredibLe code system that is both difficult to decrypt without a computer and easily solvable by hand.

Richard Malena, Popular Mechanics, 25 July 2022 And Elvis himself remains a cipher, a symbol, more myth than flesh and blood.

New York Times, 23 June 2022 That means encryption at rest, in transit and, when feasible, during processing, using cryptographically sound cipher suites.

Expert Panel®, Forbes, 4 Aug. 2022 In 2019, Braganza, who specializes in unraveling literary mysteries, deciphered a separate Renaissance-era cipher created by Lady Mary Wroth, one of England’s first woman fiction writers.

Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2022 The exhibition, which runs from July 7 to September 26, also includes the Robe of Estate, which features intricate gold embroidery, and the monarch's EIIR cipher.

Monique Jessen, PEOPLE.com, 6 July 2022 Ici repose Dookie—just that single name, once known to everyone, now a cipher.

Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 15 June 2022

Verb

These remnants, signals from an earlier phase of our human condition, have been endlessly ciphered by generations of archaeologists in the Bears Ears region (which is named for twin buttes near its center).

Stephen Nash, New York Times, 25 July 2017 See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic ṣifr empty, cipher, zero

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

单词	ciphered
释义	cipher 1 of 2 noun ci·pher ˈsī-fər often attributive 1 a : zero sense 1a b : one that has no weight, worth, or influence : nonentity It was an odd fact that the financier, a cipher in his own home, could impress all sorts of people at the office. P. G. Wodehouse Why did the family, I wondered, act as if Rita hardly existed? Was she that much of a cipher? Andrew M. Greeley 2 a : a method of transforming a text in order to conceal its meaning secret communications written in cipher compare code sense 3b b : a message in code The cipher cannot be decoded without the key. 3 : arabic numeral 4 : a combination of symbolic letters especially : the interwoven initials of a name coins that bore the cipher of the sultan cipher 2 of 2 verb ciphered; ciphering ˈsī-f(ə-)riŋ intransitive verb : to use figures in a mathematical process all children should learn to read, write, and cipher M. Pattison transitive verb 1 : encipher ciphered the letters that passed between the two heads of state 2 : to compute arithmetically ciphered out the sum in his head Synonyms Noun aught goose egg naught nought nil nothing o oh zero zilch zip Verb calculate compute figure reckon work out See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Noun a cipher that can't be decoded She was nothing more than a cipher. Verb were surprised by how much we had spent on the cruise after we had ciphered out the grand total Recent Examples on the Web Noun Despite her 70-year reign, only about 60% of the country’s post boxes were installed under Queen Elizabeth, according to the Royal Mail, while 15% remain from the time of George V, and even some remain bearing the cipher of Queen Victoria. Eliot Brown, WSJ, 10 Sep. 2022 But a cipher is only as strong as its weakest link. WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022 The Playfair cipher is an incredibLe code system that is both difficult to decrypt without a computer and easily solvable by hand. Richard Malena, Popular Mechanics, 25 July 2022 And Elvis himself remains a cipher, a symbol, more myth than flesh and blood. New York Times, 23 June 2022 That means encryption at rest, in transit and, when feasible, during processing, using cryptographically sound cipher suites. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 4 Aug. 2022 In 2019, Braganza, who specializes in unraveling literary mysteries, deciphered a separate Renaissance-era cipher created by Lady Mary Wroth, one of England’s first woman fiction writers. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2022 The exhibition, which runs from July 7 to September 26, also includes the Robe of Estate, which features intricate gold embroidery, and the monarch's EIIR cipher. Monique Jessen, PEOPLE.com, 6 July 2022 Ici repose Dookie—just that single name, once known to everyone, now a cipher. Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 15 June 2022 Verb These remnants, signals from an earlier phase of our human condition, have been endlessly ciphered by generations of archaeologists in the Bears Ears region (which is named for twin buttes near its center). Stephen Nash, New York Times, 25 July 2017 See More Word History Etymology Noun and Verb Middle English, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic ṣifr empty, cipher, zero First Known Use Noun 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb circa 1530, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense Phrases Containing cipher substitution cipher transposition cipher substitution cipher transposition cipher Kids Definition cipher 1 of 2 noun ci·pher ˈsī-fər 1 : zero sense 1 2 : a method of secret writing or the alphabet or letters and symbols used in such writing 3 : a message in code cipher 2 of 2 verb ciphered; ciphering : to use figures in doing a problem in arithmetic : calculate ciphered verb past tense of cipher as in calculated to determine (a value) by doing the necessary mathematical operations were surprised by how much we had spent on the cruise after we had ciphered out the grand total Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance calculated computed figured measured estimated divided assessed worked out multiplied added evaluated subtracted counted summed totalized reckoned gauged figured out figured in tallied averaged scaled deducted numbered added up totalled totaled calibrated recomputed itemized recalculated valued appraised gaged refigured rated factored (in or into or out) allowed (for) solved (for)
随便看	copper cyanide copper finch copper glance copper green copper hydroxide copper Indian copper iris copper loss copper luster copper naphthenate copper nickel copper number copper oxide copper oxychloride copper pyrites copper red copper rust copper snake copper spot copper sulfate copper sulfide copper tan copper vitriol copper yellow copper-belly

cipher

noun

verb

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing cipher

Kids Definition

noun

verb

verb