decoding

[ dee-koh-ding ]

noun

1. the act, process, or result of extracting meaning or usable information, as from a code, written or spoken symbols, or an electronic signal:

   The device that performs the decoding is called a digital to analog converter.

   Recent decodings of the hieroglyphs at Palenque refer to dates beyond the end of the Mayan calendar.

adjective

1. relating to the process of extracting meaning or usable information, as from a code or an electronic signal:

   The decoding algorithm will have to discern a valid signal from the noise.

Word History and Origins

Origin of decoding¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; decod(e) ( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun; decod(e) ( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

As a gastroenterologist and gut microbiome researcher at the University of Washington School of Medicine, I have dedicated my career to decoding the cipher of how food affects this microbial community within your gut.

From Salon

“Many students struggle at the secondary level with decoding, typically multisyllabic words, so those longer words that they’re encountering in science text, for example, or in social studies text,” Wexler said.

From Los Angeles Times

The scientists were able to make progress towards decoding canine communication by repurposing existing computer models trained on human speech.

From BBC

"This is the first time that techniques optimized for human speech have been built upon to help with the decoding of animal communication," Mihalcea said.

From Science Daily

In the wake of each of Peele’s films, a cottage industry has sprung up around decoding what it all means — not exactly something you can say about the average jump-scare flick.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adaptation
• explanation
• reading
• rendering
• rendition
• transcription
• version