Cipher Definition
sīfər
ciphers, cyphered, cyphering
noun
ciphers
The symbol 0, indicating a value of zero.
Webster's New World
A person or thing of no importance or value.
Webster's New World
A system of secret writing based on a key, or set of predetermined rules or symbols.
Webster's New World
An Arabic numeral.
Webster's New World
The key to such a system.
Webster's New World
verb
ciphers
To solve arithmetic problems.
Webster's New World
To write with a cipher); encode.
Webster's New World
To solve by means of arithmetic.
American Heritage
(regional, dated) To calculate.
I never learned much more than how to read and cipher.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Origin of Cipher
-
Middle English cifre from Old French from Medieval Latin cifra from Arabic ṭifr from ṭafira to be empty (translation of Sanskrit śūnyam cipher, dot) ṭpr1 in Semitic roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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14th century. From Old French cyfre, cyffre (French chiffre), ultimately from Arabic صفر (sifr, “zero, empty”), from صفر (safara, “to be empty”). Compare zero.
From Wiktionary
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