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Synonyms

encipher

American  
[en-sahy-fer] / ɛnˈsaɪ fər /

verb (used with object)

  1. to convert (a message, communication, etc.) into cipher.

encipher British  
/ ɪnˈsaɪfə /

verb

  1. (tr) to convert (a message, document, etc) from plain text into code or cipher; encode

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • encipherer noun
  • encipherment noun
  • unenciphered adjective

Etymology

Origin of encipher

First recorded in 1570–80; en- 1 + cipher

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To scramble, or encipher, the messages the Germans used the Lorenz SZ 40/42 coding machine - known as Tunny to the Allies.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2010

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.