5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Cipher  \Ci"pher\,  v.  i.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Ciphered};  p.  pr  &  vb 
  n.  {Ciphering}.] 
  To  use  figures  in  a  mathematical  process;  to  do  sums  in 
  arithmetic. 
 
  ``T  was  certain  he  could  write  and  cipher  too 
  --Goldsmith. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Cipher  \Ci"pher\,  v.  t. 
  1.  To  write  in  occult  characters. 
 
  His  notes  he  ciphered  with  Greek  characters. 
  --Hayward. 
 
  2.  To  get  by  ciphering;  as  to  cipher  out  the  answer. 
 
  3.  To  decipher.  [Obs.]  --Shak. 
 
  4.  To  designate  by  characters.  [Obs.]  --Shak. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Cipher  \Ci"pher\,  n.  [OF.  cifre  zero,  F.  Chiffre  figure  (cf.  Sp 
  cifra,  LL  cifra),  fr  Ar  [,c]ifrun,  [,c]afrun,  empty, 
  cipher,  zero,  fr  [,c]afira  to  be  empty.  Cf  {Zero}.] 
  1.  (Arith.)  A  character  [0]  which  standing  by  itself 
  expresses  nothing,  but  when  placed  at  the  right  hand  of  a 
  whole  number,  increases  its  value  tenfold. 
 
  2.  One  who  or  that  which  has  no  weight  or  influence. 
 
  Here  he  was  a  mere  cipher.  --W.  Irving. 
 
  3.  A  character  in  general,  as  a  figure  or  letter.  [Obs.] 
 
  This  wisdom  began  to  be  written  in  ciphers  and 
  characters  and  letters  bearing  the  forms  of 
  creatures.  --Sir  W. 
  Raleigh. 
 
  4.  A  combination  or  interweaving  of  letters,  as  the  initials 
  of  a  name  a  device;  a  monogram;  as  a  painter's  cipher, 
  an  engraver's  cipher,  etc  The  cut  represents  the  initials 
  N.  W. 
 
  5.  A  private  alphabet,  system  of  characters,  or  other  mode  of 
  writing,  contrived  for  the  safe  transmission  of  secrets; 
  also  a  writing  in  such  characters. 
 
  His  father  .  .  .  engaged  him  when  he  was  very  young 
  to  write  all  his  letters  to  England  in  cipher.  --Bp. 
  Burnet. 
 
  {Cipher  key},  a  key  to  assist  in  reading  writings  in  cipher. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Cipher  \Ci"pher\,  a. 
  Of  the  nature  of  a  cipher;  of  no  weight  or  influence. 
  ``Twelve  cipher  bishops.''  --Milton. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  cipher 
  n  1:  a  message  written  in  a  secret  code  [syn:  {cypher}] 
  2:  a  mathematical  element  that  when  added  to  another  number 
  yields  the  same  number  [syn:  {zero},  {0},  {nought},  {cypher}] 
  3:  a  quantity  of  no  importance;  "it  looked  like  nothing  I  had 
  ever  seen  before";  "reduced  to  nil  all  the  work  we  had 
  done";  "we  racked  up  a  pathetic  goose  egg";  "it  was  all 
  for  naught";  "I  didn't  hear  zilch  about  it"  [syn:  {nothing}, 
  {nil},  {nix},  {nada},  {aught},  {cypher},  {goose  egg},  {naught}, 
  {zero},  {zilch},  {zip}] 
  4:  a  person  of  no  influence  [syn:  {cypher},  {nobody},  {nonentity}] 
  5:  a  secret  method  of  writing  [syn:  {cypher},  {cryptograph},  {secret 
  code}] 
  v  1:  convert  ordinary  language  into  code;  "We  should  encode  the 
  message  for  security  reasons"  [syn:  {encode},  {code},  {encipher}, 
  {cypher},  {encrypt},  {inscribe},  {write  in  code}]  [ant: 
  {decode}] 
  2:  make  a  mathematical  calculation  or  computation  [syn:  {calculate}, 
  {cypher},  {compute},  {reckon},  {figure}] 

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