Cipher
noun /ˈsaɪfər/ — A code — or a person no one truly notices.
Definition
A secret or disguised way of writing; a coded message; a person of no importance or who passes unnoticed; the arithmetic symbol for zero.
Beyond the definition
Cipher works in two directions: a cipher is a code, but it's also a person who might as well be one — someone so unremarkable or deliberately unnoticed that they pass through rooms without leaving a mark. Both meanings carry the idea of hidden meaning: the code holds meaning others can't read; the invisible person holds a life others don't bother to read.
Origin & history
From Arabic sifr 'zero, empty', from safara 'to be empty'. Entered medieval Latin as cifra, entered English via French. The mathematical sense (zero) and the cryptographic sense developed in parallel in the medieval Islamic world.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She had spent years as a cipher in the organisation — invaluable, invisible, and finally tired of both.
The message was in cipher: fifteen minutes with the key, and it opened completely.
He treated his employees as ciphers — useful, interchangeable, and fundamentally uninteresting to him.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Cipher” when the meaning fits your context: A secret or disguised way of writing; a coded message; a person of no importance or who passes unnoticed; the arithmetic symbol for zero.
Synonyms
code, cryptogram, zero, nobody, nonentity
Antonyms
plain text, notable figure, known quantity
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Cipher" mean?
Cipher is noun meaning: A code — or a person no one truly notices.. A secret or disguised way of writing; a coded message; a person of no importance or who passes unnoticed; the arithmetic symbol for zero.
Where does the word "Cipher" come from?
From Arabic sifr 'zero, empty', from safara 'to be empty'. Entered medieval Latin as cifra, entered English via French. The mathematical sense (zero) and the cryptographic sense developed in parallel in the medieval Islamic world.