decipher
verb /dɪˈsaɪfə(r)/
/dɪˈsaɪfər/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they decipher | /dɪˈsaɪfə(r)/ /dɪˈsaɪfər/ |
| he / she / it deciphers | /dɪˈsaɪfəz/ /dɪˈsaɪfərz/ |
| past simple deciphered | /dɪˈsaɪfəd/ /dɪˈsaɪfərd/ |
| past participle deciphered | /dɪˈsaɪfəd/ /dɪˈsaɪfərd/ |
| -ing form deciphering | /dɪˈsaɪfərɪŋ/ /dɪˈsaɪfərɪŋ/ |
- decipher something to convert something written in code into normal language
- They were able to decipher the French military codes.
- She quickly deciphered the whole message.
- decipher something to succeed in finding the meaning of something that is difficult to read or understand
- Can anyone decipher his handwriting?
- She watched the girl’s expression closely, trying to decipher her meaning.
Oxford Collocations DictionaryDecipher is used with these nouns as the object:- clue
- code
- meaning
- …
Word Originearly 16th cent.: from de- (expressing reversal) + cipher, on the pattern of French déchiffrer.