Meaning of cipher in English

1. Pronunciation

   /ˈsaɪfər/

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   UK accent

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1. Verb

   cipher

   Definitions

   1. convert ordinary language into code

   Examples

   • « We should encode the message for security reasons »

   Antonyms

   • decode
   • decrypt
   • decipher
2. 2. make a mathematical calculation or computation

3. Noun

   cipher

   Etymology

   late Middle English (in the senses ‘symbol for zero’ and ‘Arabic numeral’): from Old French cifre, based on Arabic ṣifr‘zero’

   Definitions

   1. a message written in a secret code
4. 2. a mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number
5. 3. a quantity of no importance

   Examples

   • « it looked like nothing I had ever seen before »
   • « reduced to nil all the work we had done »
   • « we racked up a pathetic goose egg »
   • « it was all for naught »
   • « I didn't hear zilch about it »
6. 4. a person of no influence
7. 5. a secret method of writing