cipher

cipher

, cypher

1. an obsolete name for zero

2. any of the Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, etc., to 9) or the Arabic system of numbering as a whole

3. Music a defect in an organ resulting in the continuous sounding of a pipe, the key of which has not been depressed

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

cipher

[′sī·fər]

(communications)

A transposition or substitution code for transmitting secret messages.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

cipher

Pronounced "sy-fer," a cipher is an algorithm that encrypts data. However, the term may also refer to the encrypted data as well. See encryption algorithm, ciphertext and cypherpunk.

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