cipher

1 of 2

noun

ci·​pher ˈsī-fər 

plural ciphers

1

a

: 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

2

a

: 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

5

often cypher plural cyphers

a

: a circle formed by performers (such as rappers or hip-hop dancers) who take turns improvising in the middle often as part of a competition

Breakers go in a cypher one at a time to dance to the music and can also battle each other.

—Emmanuel Adelekun

Cyphers have been an important part of rap culture since the beginning of hip-hop …

—BBC Three

… dancers are caught, lifted, and patted or slapped by the hands of other dancers in the cipher.

—Stephanie L. Batiste

b

: a hip-hop song that features multiple rappers taking turns delivering verses

The cypher has evolved to become an effective tool to increase fame for up-and-coming artists …

—Roderick Pullum

"Waterboyz" is a … cipher between … compatriots JID and J. Cole.

—Mosi Reeves

cipher

2 of 2

verb

ciphered; ciphering ˈsī-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

Synonyms

Noun

• nothing
• zero

Verb

• figure
• calculate
• compute

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

We are used to viewing video-game protagonists as tireless ciphers. —Simon Parkin, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025

Second, between February and October 1942, the Germans changed the anatomy of their Enigma cipher machine, meaning the Allies were unable to decode the messages sent to and from U-boats. —Asia London Palomba, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 June 2025

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic ṣifr empty, cipher, zero

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing cipher

• substitution cipher
• transposition cipher

Rhymes for cipher

• cypher
• fifer
• heifer
• pfeiffer
• decipher

Kids Definition

cipher

1 of 2 noun

ci·​pher ˈsī-fər 

1

: the symbol 0 meaning the absence of all magnitude or quantity : zero see number

2

a

: a method of changing a message so as to conceal its meaning

b

: a message in code

cipher

2 of 2 verb

ciphered; ciphering -f(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to use figures in calculating

2

: to change (a message) into cipher

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cipher "zero," from Latin cifra (same meaning), from Arabic ṣifr "empty"