-fē, -fi noun
( -es )
Etymology: New Latin cryptographia, from crypt- + -graphia -graphy
1. : secret writing : cryptic symbolization
2.
a. : the art or practice of preparing or reading messages in a form intended to prevent their being read by those not privy to secrets of the form ; also : the science of devising methods and means for this — compare cipher 2, code 3
b. : cryptanalysis