Cipher

Cipher
Cipher Ci"pher, n. [OF. cifre zero, F. Chiffre figure (cf. Sp.cifra, LL. cifra), fr. Ar. [,c]ifrun, [,c]afrun, empty, cipher, zero, fr. [,c]afira to be empty. Cf. {Zero}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Arith.) A character [0] which, standing by itself, expresses nothing, but when placed at the right hand of a whole number, increases its value tenfold. [1913 Webster]

2. One who, or that which, has no weight or influence. [1913 Webster]

Here he was a mere cipher. --W. Irving. [1913 Webster]

3. A character in general, as a figure or letter. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

This wisdom began to be written in ciphers and characters and letters bearing the forms of creatures. --Sir W. Raleigh. [1913 Webster]

4. A combination or interweaving of letters, as the initials of a name; a device; a monogram; as, a painter's cipher, an engraver's cipher, etc. The cut represents the initials N. W. [1913 Webster]

5. A private alphabet, system of characters, or other mode of writing, contrived for the safe transmission of secrets; also, a writing in such characters. [1913 Webster]

His father . . . engaged him when he was very young to write all his letters to England in cipher. --Bp. Burnet. [1913 Webster]

{Cipher key}, a key to assist in reading writings in cipher. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • cipher — UK [ˈsaɪfə(r)] / US [ˈsaɪfər] or cypher UK / US noun Word forms cipher : singular cipher plural ciphers 1) [countable/uncountable] a secret system of writing, used for sending messages so that no one can understand them unless they know the… …   English dictionary

  • Cipher — Ci pher, a. Of the nature of a cipher; of no weight or influence. Twelve cipher bishops. Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cipher — [sī′fər] n. [ME cifre < OFr cyfre < ML cifra < Ar ṣifr, ṣefr, a cipher, nothing < ṣafara, to be empty] 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… …   English World dictionary

  • Cipher — Ci pher, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Ciphered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Ciphering}.] To use figures in a mathematical process; to do sums in arithmetic. [1913 Webster] T was certain he could write and cipher too. Goldsmith. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cipher — Ci pher, v. t. 1. To write in occult characters. [1913 Webster] His notes he ciphered with Greek characters. Hayward. [1913 Webster] 2. To get by ciphering; as, to cipher out the answer. [1913 Webster] 3. To decipher. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cipher — [n] zero; nothingness blank, diddly squat*, goose egg*, insignificancy, nada*, naught, nil, nobody, nonentity, nothing, nought, nullity, squat, zilch, zip, zippo*, zot*; concepts 668,787 cipher [v] figure out code break, calculate, clear up,… …   New thesaurus

  • cipher — index blank (emptiness), calculate, designation (symbol), indicant, nonentity Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton …   Law dictionary

  • cipher — is the recommended spelling, not cypher …   Modern English usage

  • cipher — (also cypher) ► NOUN 1) a code. 2) a key to a code. 3) an unimportant person or thing. 4) dated a zero. ► VERB ▪ encode (a message). ORIGIN Old French cifre, from Arab …   English terms dictionary

  • Cipher — For other uses, see Cipher (disambiguation). Edward Larsson s rune cipher resembling that found on the Kensington Runestone. Also includes runically unrelated blackletter writing style and pigpen cipher. In cryptography, a cipher (or cypher) is… …   Wikipedia

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