cipher

noun, often attributive

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ci·pher | \ ˈsī-fər

Definition of cipher

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

2a : 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

verb

ciphered; ciphering\ ˈsī-f(ə-)riŋ

Definition of cipher (Entry 2 of 2)

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 More Example Sentences Phrases Containing cipher Learn More About cipher

Examples of cipher in a Sentence

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 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 The series offers little psychological insight into Melngailis, who remains a cipher by its conclusion. — Meredith Blakestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2022 Interpreted as an assertion of Catherine’s rights as queen, the cipher aligns with the historical record, which is filled with examples of her headstrong nature. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 July 2022 The Catherine/Henry cipher came to her attention this spring, through a similar moment of serendipity. — New York Times, 7 July 2022 The pages on the left (verso) were written in a cipher. — Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 9 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: 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

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.