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ci·pher

also cy·pher (sī′fər)

1. The mathematical symbol (0) denoting absence of quantity; zero.

2. An Arabic numeral or figure; a number.

3. One having no influence or value; a nonentity.

a. A cryptographic system in which units of text of regular length, usually letters, are transposed or substituted according to a predetermined code.

b. The key to such a system.

c. A message written or transmitted in such a system.

5. A design combining or interweaving letters or initials; a monogram.

v. ci·phered, ci·pher·ing, ci·phers also cy·phered or cy·pher·ing or cy·phered

v.intr.

To solve problems in arithmetic; calculate.

v.tr.

1. To put in secret writing; encode.

2. To solve by means of arithmetic.

[Middle English cifre, from Old French, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic ṣifr, from ṣafira, to be empty (translation of Sanskrit śūnyam, cipher, dot); see ṣpr in Semitic roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cipher

(ˈsaɪfə) or

cypher

1. a method of secret writing using substitution or transposition of letters according to a key

2. a secret message

3. the key to a secret message

4. (Mathematics) an obsolete name for zero¹

5. (Mathematics) any of the Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, etc, to 9) or the Arabic system of numbering as a whole

6. a person or thing of no importance; nonentity

7. a design consisting of interwoven letters; monogram

8. (Instruments) music a defect in an organ resulting in the continuous sounding of a pipe, the key of which has not been depressed

9. to put (a message) into secret writing

10. (Instruments) (intr) (of an organ pipe) to sound without having the appropriate key depressed

11. (Mathematics) rare to perform (a calculation) arithmetically

[C14: from Old French cifre zero, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic sifr zero, empty]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ci•pher

(ˈsaɪ fər)

n.

1. zero.

2. any of the Arabic numerals or figures.

3. a person or thing of no value or importance; nonentity.

a. a secret method of writing, as by code.

b. writing done by such a method; a coded message.

5. the key to a secret method of writing.

6. a combination of letters, as the initials of a name; monogram.

v.i.

7. to use figures or numerals arithmetically.

8. to write in or as in cipher.

v.t.

9. to calculate numerically; figure.

10. to convert into cipher; encipher.

Also, esp. Brit., cypher.

[1350–1400; Middle English siphre < Medieval Latin ciphra < Arabic ṣifr empty, zero; translation of Skt śūnyā empty]

ci′pher•a•ble, adj.

ci′pher•er, n.

zero, cipher - Zero and cipher come from Arabic sifr, "nought, zero," from Sanskrit sunya, "empty."

cipher

Any cryptographic system in which arbitrary symbols (or groups of symbols) represent units of plain text of regular length, usually single letters; units of plain text are rearranged; or both, in accordance with certain predetermined rules. See also cryptosystem.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

cipher

Past participle: ciphered
Gerund: ciphering

Imperative
cipher
cipher

Present
I cipher
you cipher
he/she/it ciphers
we cipher
you cipher
they cipher

Preterite
I ciphered
you ciphered
he/she/it ciphered
we ciphered
you ciphered
they ciphered

Present Continuous
I am ciphering
you are ciphering
he/she/it is ciphering
we are ciphering
you are ciphering
they are ciphering

Present Perfect
I have ciphered
you have ciphered
he/she/it has ciphered
we have ciphered
you have ciphered
they have ciphered

Past Continuous
I was ciphering
you were ciphering
he/she/it was ciphering
we were ciphering
you were ciphering
they were ciphering

Past Perfect
I had ciphered
you had ciphered
he/she/it had ciphered
we had ciphered
you had ciphered
they had ciphered

Future
I will cipher
you will cipher
he/she/it will cipher
we will cipher
you will cipher
they will cipher

Future Perfect
I will have ciphered
you will have ciphered
he/she/it will have ciphered
we will have ciphered
you will have ciphered
they will have ciphered

Future Continuous
I will be ciphering
you will be ciphering
he/she/it will be ciphering
we will be ciphering
you will be ciphering
they will be ciphering

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been ciphering
you have been ciphering
he/she/it has been ciphering
we have been ciphering
you have been ciphering
they have been ciphering

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been ciphering
you will have been ciphering
he/she/it will have been ciphering
we will have been ciphering
you will have been ciphering
they will have been ciphering

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been ciphering
you had been ciphering
he/she/it had been ciphering
we had been ciphering
you had been ciphering
they had been ciphering

Conditional
I would cipher
you would cipher
he/she/it would cipher
we would cipher
you would cipher
they would cipher

Past Conditional
I would have ciphered
you would have ciphered
he/she/it would have ciphered
we would have ciphered
you would have ciphered
they would have ciphered

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	cipher - a message written in a secret code cypher message - a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled; "he sent a three-word message"
	2.	cipher - a mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number 0, cypher, nought, zero digit, figure - one of the elements that collectively form a system of numeration; "0 and 1 are digits"
	3.	cipher - a quantity of no importance; "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" goose egg, nada, naught, nil, nix, nothing, null, zero, zilch, zip, zippo, aught, cypher relative quantity - a quantity relative to some purpose nihil - (Latin) nil; nothing (as used by a sheriff after an unsuccessful effort to serve a writ); "nihil habet" Fanny Adams, sweet Fanny Adams - little or nothing at all; "I asked for a raise and they gave me bugger-all"; "I know sweet Fanny Adams about surgery"
	4.	cipher - a person of no influence nobody, nonentity, cypher common man, common person, commoner - a person who holds no title pip-squeak, small fry, squirt - someone who is small and insignificant jackanapes, whippersnapper, lightweight - someone who is unimportant but cheeky and presumptuous
	5.	cipher - a secret method of writing cryptograph, secret code, cypher code - a coding system used for transmitting messages requiring brevity or secrecy
Verb	1.	cipher - convert ordinary language into code; "We should encode the message for security reasons" cypher, encipher, encrypt, write in code, code, inscribe encode - convert information into code; "encode pictures digitally"
	2.	cipher - make a mathematical calculation or computation calculate, compute, cypher, figure, reckon, work out math, mathematics, maths - a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement reason - think logically; "The children must learn to reason" quantise, quantize - apply quantum theory to; restrict the number of possible values of (a quantity) or states of (a physical entity or system) so that certain variables can assume only certain discrete magnitudes that are integral multiples of a common factor; "Quantize gravity" work out - be calculated; "The fees work out to less than $1,000" extract - calculate the root of a number process - perform mathematical and logical operations on (data) according to programmed instructions in order to obtain the required information; "The results of the elections were still being processed when he gave his acceptance speech" prorate - divide or assess proportionally; "The rent was prorated for the rest of the month" miscalculate, misestimate - calculate incorrectly; "I miscalculated the number of guests at the wedding" recalculate - calculate anew; "The costs had to be recalculated" average out, average - compute the average of factor, factor in, factor out - resolve into factors; "a quantum computer can factor the number 15" add together, add - make an addition by combining numbers; "Add 27 and 49, please!" deduct, subtract, take off - make a subtraction; "subtract this amount from my paycheck" multiply - combine by multiplication; "multiply 10 by 15" fraction, divide - perform a division; "Can you divide 49 by seven?" interpolate, extrapolate - estimate the value of differentiate - calculate a derivative; take the derivative integrate - calculate the integral of; calculate by integration survey - plot a map of (land) estimate, gauge, approximate, guess, judge - judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time); "I estimate this chicken to weigh three pounds" budget - make a budget capitalise, capitalize - compute the present value of a business or an income solve, resolve - find the solution; "solve an equation"; "solve for x"

cipher

noun

1. code, coded message, cryptogram The codebreakers cracked the cipher.

2. nobody, nonentity, non-person They were little more than ciphers who faithfully carried out the Fuehrer's commands.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

cipher

noun

A totally insignificant person:

nebbish, nobody, nonentity, nothing.

Informal: pip-squeak, zero.

Slang: shrimp, zilch.

verb

To ascertain by mathematics:

calculate, cast, compute, figure, reckon.

Translations

شِفْرَه، رُموز

šifracifračíslicekód

kodekodeskrift

Chiffre Geheimschrift Kennwort VerschlüsselungVerschlüsselungssystem

dígito

numerosalakirjoitussalakirjoitusjärjestelmäsalakirjoitusviesti

chiffre chiffrer code

titkosírászérónulla

dulmál

cifra monogramma

šifras

kodsšifrs

chifferskrift kode

szyfr

šifrované písmo

chiffersiffra

şifre

密码

cipher

[ˈsaɪfəʳ]

A. N

1. (= 0, zero) → cero m; (= any number, initials) → cifra f; (= Arabic numeral) → cifra f, número m

2. (= secret writing) → cifra f, código m
in cipher → cifrado, en clave

3. (= monogram) → monograma m

4. (fig) (= person) he's a mere cipher → es un cero a la izquierda

B. VT

1. [+ code, calculations, communications] → cifrar

2. (Math) → calcular

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

cipher

[ˈsaɪfə^r] n

(= code) → code m secret
in cipher → en langage codé

(= faceless employee) → numéro m

cipher

(= Arabic numeral) → Ziffer f, → Zahl f

(= zero) → Null f

(= nonentity) → Niemand m no pl

(= code) → Chiffre f, → Code m, → Kode m; in cipher → chiffriert

(= monogram) → Monogramm nt, → Namenszeichen nt

vt (= encode) → verschlüsseln, chiffrieren

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

cipher

[ˈsaɪfəʳ] n (code) → codice m (cifrato) (Math) → zero (fig) (faceless employee) → persona di nessun conto, nullità f inv
in cipher → in codice

cipher

(ˈsaifə) noun

secret writing; a code. The message was written in cipher.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

These are hieroglyphical; that is, if you call those mysterious cyphers on the walls of pyramids hieroglyphics, then that is the proper word to use in the present connexion.

View in context

Three years ago Kraft, Bill Judkins (a poet), and I took our meals at Cypher's, on Eighth Avenue.

Cypher's store of eatables she poured out upon us with royal indifference to price and quantity, as from a cornucopia that knew no exhaustion.

One of us compared the harmony existing between a Haydn symphony and pistache ice cream to the exquisite congruity between Milly and Cypher's.

View in context

He was as glad to have them as she was, he said, but he thought they should have asked his consent as well as hers, instead of treating him as a cypher [zero] in his own house.

"I don't think he is a cypher," Tootles cried instantly.

It turned out that not one of them thought him a cypher; and he was absurdly gratified, and said he would find space for them all in the drawing-room if they fitted in.