Main Entry:

cryp·tic

Pronunciation:

\ˈkrip-tik\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Late Latin crypticus, from Greek kryptikos, from kryptos

Date:

circa 1638

1: secret, occult2 a: having or seeming to have a hidden or ambiguous meaning : mysterious <cryptic messages> b: marked by an often perplexing brevity <cryptic marginal notes>3: serving to conceal <cryptic coloration in animals> ; also : exhibiting cryptic coloration <cryptic animals>4: not recognized <a cryptic infection>5: employing cipher or code

synonyms see obscure

— cryp·ti·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb