"cipher" in the noun sense

1. cipher, cypher

a message written in a secret code

2. zero, 0, nought, cipher, cypher

a mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number

3. nothing, nil, nix, nada, null, aught, cipher, cypher, goose egg, naught, zero, zilch, zip, zippo

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"

4. cipher, cypher, nobody, nonentity

a person of no influence

5. cipher, cypher, cryptograph, secret code

a secret method of writing

"cipher" in the verb sense

1. code, encipher, cipher, cypher, encrypt, inscribe, write in code

convert ordinary language into code

"We should encode the message for security reasons"

2. calculate, cipher, cypher, compute, work out, reckon, figure

make a mathematical calculation or computation

Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)

Princeton University "About WordNet®."
WordNet®. Princeton University. 2010.

View WordNet® License