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Definition of cipher
1a : zero 1ab : one that has no weight, worth, or influence : nonentity She was nothing more than a cipher.
2a : a method of transforming a text in order to conceal its meaning secret communications written in cipher — compare code 3bb : 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
From the M-W Editors
Examples of cipher in a Sentence
a cipher that can't be decoded
She was nothing more than a cipher.
Recent Examples of cipher from the Web
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But its characters often feel like ciphers, generic stand-ins for the various factions implicated in cocaine’s rise.
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The story of Jay Z's first cipher comes from his book, Decoded (2010).
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This is evident in the archetype of the Mammy, the black maternal figure who acts as a cipher for the burdens of the white people around her and takes them on with an ever-present smile.
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His mother had been a cipher clerk for the Army during the Second World War.
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In April 1986, President Ronald Reagan implied that the US had broken Libyan ciphers after disclosing that the US could read confidential Libyan government messages.
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One common approach: Your files will be encrypted or converted into a different language for which only the hacker has the cipher.
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Replacing Stanton with a cipher such as Thomas, however, was a major blunder.
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A cipher and drum circle held in a speakeasy-type setting for her friends soon evolved into The Bolton Hill Open Mic Series, also known as BHOMS.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cipher'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of cipher
Middle English, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic ṣifr empty, cipher, zero
cipher
Definition of cipher
ciphered
;ciphering
play \-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
Examples of cipher in a Sentence
were surprised by how much we had spent on the cruise after we had ciphered out the grand total
Origin and Etymology of cipher
see 1cipher
CIPHER Defined for English Language Learners
cipher
playDefinition of cipher for English Language Learners
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: a way of changing a message to keep it secret
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: a person who has no power or is not important
CIPHER Defined for Kids
Learn More about cipher
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See words that rhyme with cipher Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cipher Spanish Central: Translation of cipher Nglish: Translation of cipher for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cipher for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cipher
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