decode

[ dee-kohd ]

verb (used with object)

, de·cod·ed, de·cod·ing.

1. to translate (data or a message) from a code into the original language or form.
2. to extract meaning from (spoken or written symbols).
3. Television. to unscramble (an electronic signal) so as to provide a video picture for cable subscribers.

verb (used without object)

, de·cod·ed, de·cod·ing.

1. to work at decoding.

decode

/ diːˈkəʊd /

verb

1. to convert (a message, text, etc) from code into ordinary language
2. computing to convert (coded characters) from one form to another, as from binary-coded decimals to decimal numbers Compare encode
3. electronics to convert (a coded electrical signal) into normal analogue components
4. to analyse and understand the construction of words and phrases, esp in a foreign language

Derived Forms

• deˈcoder, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of decode¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; de- + code

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

"I had gynaecological issues, and some mornings I woke up with the same feeling as if my waters had broken. The signs were there, but I never knew how to decode them," she added.

From BBC

She is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies, known for her ability to decode audience behavior with unparalleled accuracy.

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

“There’s also sort of a cadence to it. It’s also trying to decode what level of irony we are throwing out there.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• clear up
• figure out
• interpret
• solve
• translate
• unravel
• unscramble
• untangle