Meaning & use
cypher
Last updated
a variant spelling of 'cipher': a system of secret or disguised writing, or a code.
See it in a sentence
The spy used a simple cypher to encode her messages.
Historians finally cracked the cypher used in the general's wartime letters.
A note on using this word
In hip-hop culture, a 'cypher' also refers to a circle of rappers freestyling in turn — a distinct, more recent sense unrelated to codes.
Words with a similar meaning
ciphercode
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
(informal, hip-hop culture) an impromptu gathering where rappers take turns freestyling.
Dozens of fans gathered around the late-night cypher outside the venue.
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