I. də̇ˈsīfə(r), dēˈs- transitive verb
( deciphered ; deciphered ; deciphering -f(ə)riŋ ; deciphers )
Etymology: de- + cipher (I) ; translation of Middle French deschiffrer
1.
a. obsolete : to find out : detect , discover
you are both deciphered … for villains — Shakespeare
b. archaic : to make known : indicate , reveal
his favorite gesture … might decipher his whole character — Thomas Holcroft
2. : to convert (a cryptic writing) into intelligible form: as
a. : to undo (an encipherment) by reversal of the enciphering procedure
b. : solve
decipher a cipher
c. obsolete : to represent by oral description or pictorial art : delineate , portray
with her majesty's name deciphered in gold letters — Jonathan Swift
3.
a. : to make out, read, or interpret despite obscuration or partial obliteration
deciphering the smudged postmark — Arnold Bennett
b. : to examine and find out or discover the meaning or explanation of (something difficult to understand)
some philosophical message … that we fail to decipher — Henri Peyre
Synonyms: see solve
II. noun
( -s )
: a secret message in deciphered form