Advertisement
Advertisement
crypto
1[ krip-toh ]
noun
- a person who secretly supports or adheres to a group, party, or belief.
adjective
- secret or hidden; not publicly admitted:
a crypto Nazi.
crypto-
2- a combining form meaning “hidden,” “secret,” used in the formation of compound words:
cryptograph.
crypto-
combining_form
- secret, hidden, or concealed
cryptography
crypto-fascist
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of crypto1
Example Sentences
No, not that Obama is a crypto-Muslim socialist who wants to destroy America.
However, such crypto-libertarianism is countered by a very strong belief in the need for government to provide a safety net.
Could this mean that every assistant manager at The Gap is a crypto-Muslim?
Many in the crypto-building community believe adding encryption to existing tools is likely to be the best answer.
The trouble is, crypto programs are still too hard for normal people to use.
So I knew that crypto would keep me safe from eavesdroppers, but I wasn't ready to deal with histograms.
I wasn't too worried about getting caught doing this, because I had good crypto on my side.
You can't tell who's passing Xnet packets by looking at the contents of those packets, thanks to crypto.
The problem is that if there's too much crypto in someone's Internet connection, they'll stand out as unusual.
Web of trust is one of those cool crypto things that I'd read about but never tried.
Advertisement
Words That Use Crypto-
What does crypto- mean?
Crypto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “hidden, secret.” It is used in many scientific, medical, and other technical terms.
Crypto- comes from the Greek kryptós, meaning “hidden.” The word crypt also derives from this root. Dig up the connection at our entry for the word.
In anatomy, crypto- specifically refers to a crypt in its specialized sense of a “slender pit or recess” or a “small glandular cavity.”
What are variants of crypto-?
When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, crypto- becomes crypt-, as in cryptitis.
Examples of crypto-
One word you may have encountered that features the combining form crypto- is cryptogram, meaning “a message or writing in code or cypher.”
As we know, crypto- means “secret.” The second part of the word, –gram, means “something written”—like a note. Cryptogram, then, has a literal sense of “secret note.”
What are some words that use the combining form crypto-?
- cryptoanalysis
- cryptobiosis
- cryptoclimatology
- cryptocurrency
- cryptography
- cryptolith
- cryptomenorrhea
- cryptometer
- cryptophyte
- cryptology
- cryptozoology
What are some other forms that crypto- may be commonly confused with?
Break it down!
Cryptozoology is the search for mythical creatures like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Given that zoology is “the science or branch of biology dealing with animals,” what does cryptozoology literally mean?
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse