ciphering
/ˈsī-fər How to pronounce cipher (audio)/ (ame, mw)
ciphering — noun
1. a way of writing that hides the real message so that only someone who knows the
a way of writing that hides the real message so that only someone who knows the secret rule can read it
Adisa taught her younger brother a simple ciphering trick for hiding notes from their parents.
collocation: ciphering trick
The British Admiralty used ciphering at Trafalgar to hide its battle orders from the French and Spanish fleets.
Kwame spent the summer reading about ciphering techniques from ancient Rome and Egypt.
Agent Novak stared at the stolen pages — without the ciphering key they were nothing but scrambled letters.
The ciphering on Hana's messaging app turned every text into a string of numbers only her sister could read.
- code
broader term; covers any system of symbols or signals, not only secret writing
- encryption
specifically electronic or digital encoding of data
- cryptosystem
technical term for the complete encoding-and-decoding scheme
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: ciphering here is the method itself, not the message it produces.
2. a piece of writing that has been turned into a secret code and cannot be underst
a piece of writing that has been turned into a secret code and cannot be understood without the right key
Ingrid opened the envelope and found a ciphering she could not make sense of.
Radio Officer Blake copied down the ciphering as it arrived — five groups of letters with no obvious meaning.
Sven passed a short ciphering to his contact during the busy market exchange.
The ciphering sat on Commander Okonkwo's desk for six weeks before his codebreaking team finally cracked it open.
- cryptogram
more formal; often used for code-breaking puzzles
- encoded message
more general and transparent in meaning
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this is the coded text that results from using a ciphering system.
3. the number that shows there is none of something; the symbol 0
the number that shows there is none of something; the symbol 0
Grandfather's ledger showed a row of cipherings — each one a day with no sales at all.
ciphering as the written symbol for zero
The schoolmaster drew a ciphering on the blackboard and asked the class what number stood for emptiness.
In the ship's log, every windless day was recorded with a single ciphering: a small, careful 0.
An old Florentine ledger showed ciphering as a small circle placed where we would now write 0.
用法筆記
Now archaic. The word 'cipher' entered English through this meaning before broadening to its other senses.
4. someone who counts for nothing in a group or situation — a person others ignore
someone who counts for nothing in a group or situation — a person others ignore because they have no power or standing
Dmitri spent thirty years as a ciphering in the ministry, never once promoted or noticed.
collocation: as a ciphering
Ambassador Chen warned her deputy that without voting power she would be reduced to a ciphering at the trade summit.
collocation: reduced to ciphering
Fatima left the firm after realising the senior partners saw her as nothing but a ciphering.
Jorge knew he was a ciphering on the committee — his vote never changed any outcome.
常見錯誤
5. a written symbol for a number — such as 1, 2, or 3 — used instead of spelling th
a written symbol for a number — such as 1, 2, or 3 — used instead of spelling the number out in words
The spice trader scratched the price in clear ciphering — three strokes for 3 — right onto the clay tablet.
Amara's thesis traced how Arabic ciphering reached Pisa in 1202 and slowly pushed out Roman numerals.
contrast: ciphering vs Roman numerals
A Florentine tax record from 1280 mixed Roman numerals and Arabic ciphering in the same column.
Tariq traced the elegant ciphering on the church cornerstone: 1-4-9-2, the year the builders finished it.
用法筆記
Rare in modern English. This historical sense reflects the word's origin: the Arabic word for zero gave rise to the European word for any numeral.
6. a decorative mark made by weaving together the first letters of a person's name,
a decorative mark made by weaving together the first letters of a person's name, printed or sewn onto personal items like towels, clothing, or writing paper
Chiamaka embroidered a delicate ciphering of her initials onto the corner of every handkerchief.
collocation: a delicate ciphering
The royal ciphering appeared on the gates, the stationery, and even the palace teacups.
collocation: royal ciphering
Adisa designed a wedding ciphering that wove the couple's two initials into a single elegant mark.
The Victorian letter was sealed with wax and stamped with the family ciphering.
- monogram
the standard modern term; interchangeable with ciphering in this sense
7. a ring of rappers or dancers where one person steps into the centre to perform i
a ring of rappers or dancers where one person steps into the centre to perform improvised verses or moves while everyone else watches and claps
Kwame stepped into the ciphering and delivered a freestyle that silenced every rapper watching.
usage: step into the ciphering
The ciphering outside the club grew as more dancers gathered to take their turn in the middle.
Ingrid had never seen a ciphering before — a ring of bodies clapping while one person flowed.
Sven felt his heart pound as he walked towards the ciphering, knowing his turn was next.
- cypher
alternative spelling of the same word
- freestyle circle
emphasises the improvisational aspect
- rap circle
more specific to rap rather than dance battles
用法筆記
This sense belongs to hip-hop and street-dance culture. A ciphering is both the physical circle and the competitive event itself.
8. a rap song on which several different artists each contribute a verse, taking tu
a rap song on which several different artists each contribute a verse, taking turns one after another
Yara played the ciphering on her phone all shift — every rapper brought a different style.
The album closed with a ten-minute ciphering recorded in a basement studio after the label party ended.
pattern: a ciphering that featured + number of rappers
Mei-Lin played the ciphering at her house party and watched the room go quiet when the third rapper's verse hit.
DJ Omar stitched the ciphering together from voice notes sent by rappers in Lagos, Seoul, and São Paulo.
- posse cut
hip-hop slang term for a track with many featured artists
- collab track
more general term for any collaborative song across genres
ciphering — verb
- cipheringpresent simple I / you / we / they
- cipherings3rd person singular
- cipheringing-ing form
- cipheringedpast simple
1. to work out an answer using numbers — adding, subtracting, multiplying, or divid
to work out an answer using numbers — adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing to reach a result
Dmitri sat at the kitchen table ciphering the monthly expenses with a pencil and old ledger.
pattern: ciphering + object (the monthly expenses)
Fatima ciphered faster than anyone in the village — she could total a column of figures in seconds.
intransitive use: ciphered faster
Mr. Hashimoto ciphered each customer's total on a paper bag, glancing up only when the bell above the door rang.
Jorge taught his daughter to cipher before she started school, using buttons and dried beans.
Miss Okafor stood at the board while twenty children ciphered aloud — 'seven and eight makes fifteen, carry the one!'
文法句型
cipher
cipher + object
用法筆記
Now rare in everyday English; largely replaced by 'calculate' or 'work out.' Still found in historical writing and rural dialects.
常見錯誤
2. to turn a plain message into a secret form that cannot be read without the right
to turn a plain message into a secret form that cannot be read without the right key
Chiamaka ciphered the letter carefully, replacing each word with a symbol from the shared notebook.
pattern: cipher + object (the letter)
The courier ciphered the shipment dates into three short lines and tucked the paper inside a bicycle handlebar.
Tariq spent the night ciphering the troop movements into a message short enough to send by pigeon.
Captain Rosales ciphered the evacuation order with the ship's rotor machine before the radio operator transmitted it.
Amara learned to cipher messages when she was twelve, using a code wheel her grandfather had made.
文法句型
cipher + noun