cipher

noun, often attributive

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 Learn More about cipher

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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

The resulting juice is a cipher of a scent; simultaneously traditional and subversive, light and dark, romantic and mischievous. — Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, "Chloë Sevigny in full bloom," 3 Sep. 2019 The show shifts from standing circle to ascending rows of chairs, then back to the cipher. — Dasun Imanuel, Essence, "Street Dance Evolves From The Subway To Centerstage In The Powerful Performance 'Maze'," 28 Aug. 2019 Because of a confounding set of circumstances, this intriguing target has remained a cipher—at least, until now. — Corey S. Powell, Scientific American, "The Hunt Is on for Alpha Centauri’s Planets," 5 Aug. 2019 In addition, Andrej proves more cipher than hero — or even antihero — leaving us emotionally stranded in an unwelcoming world. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: ‘Ladyworld’ with Maya Hawke,’ plus Bud doc ‘Kings of Beer,’ ‘Consequences’ and ‘Moop’," 1 Aug. 2019 Additional research into the A5 family of ciphers over the years has turned up other flaws as well. — Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, "Hackers Could Decrypt Your GSM Phone Calls," 10 Aug. 2019 With their rich metaphoric ambiguity, gardens have served as ciphers for reflections on nature, the nation and the place of humans therein. — J.w.s.w. | Berlin, The Economist, "The variegated symbolism of gardens in art," 1 Aug. 2019 Even the dining room is a cipher: Designed by Lundberg Design, the company that also worked on Mourad and Bluestem Brasserie, the room’s bare concrete walls are decorated with a smattering of anonymous glazed pottery pieces. — Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, "At Maum in Palo Alto, a tasting menu that celebrates Korean American classics," 8 Aug. 2019 The report, with its titillating redactions, copious footnotes, mind-numbing legal jargon and endlessly intricate details, dates and code names, is a cipher for fraught political times. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, "How the Mueller report became a live-theater summer sensation," 20 July 2019

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, "At Bears Ears in Utah, Heated Politics and Precious Ruins," 25 July 2017

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.