CIPHER


Meaning of CIPHER in English

~ 1 [ 'sʌɪfə ]

(also cypher )

■ noun

1》 a code.

↘a key to a code.

2》 dated a zero.

3》 an unimportant person or thing.

4》 a monogram.

■ verb

1》 encode (a message).

2》 archaic do arithmetic.

Origin

ME: from OFr. cifre , based on Arab. ṛifr 'zero'.

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~ 2

■ noun a continuous sounding of an organ pipe, caused by a defect.

■ verb (of an organ pipe) sound continuously.

Origin

C18: perh. from ~ 1 .

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.