Cipher
/ˈsaɪfər/noun
A secret or disguised way to write a code or a message.
The spy used a cipher to send sensitive information back to her agency.
Often appears as...
- secret cipher
- complex cipher
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 5
Pro Tip 1/3Cryptography Basics
Understand that 'cipher' in this context relates to keeping information secret through encoding.
Cryptographers create ciphers to protect data.
Pro Tip 2/3Historical Encryption
'Cipher' also references historical methods of secret writing used before the digital age.
The ancient spy network wrote in ciphers.
Pro Tip 3/3Breaking Codes
In stories and history, 'breaking a cipher' refers to decoding someone else's secret messages.
The detectives set out to break the enemy's cipher.
Compare with
codeencryptionhieroglyphicnumbsymbologyzero
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