[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

cipher \ci"pher\, a.
   of the nature of a cipher; of no weight or influence. "twelve
   cipher bishops." --milton.
   1913 webster

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

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.
   1913 webster

         't was certain he could write and cipher too.
                                                  --goldsmith.
   1913 webster
see also:
ciphered ciphering 

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

cipher \ci"pher\, n. of. cifre zero, f. chiffre figure cf.
   sp.cifra, ll. cifra, fr. ar. ,cifrun, ,cafrun, empty,
   cipher, zero, fr. ,cafira to be empty. cf. zero.
   1913 webster
   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.
      1913 webster

   2. one who, or that which, has no weight or influence.
      1913 webster

            here he was a mere cipher.            --w. irving.
      1913 webster

   3. a character in general, as a figure or letter. obs.
      1913 webster

            this wisdom began to be written in ciphers and
            characters and letters bearing the forms of
            creatures.                            --sir w.
                                                  raleigh.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

            his father . . . engaged him when he was very young
            to write all his letters to england in cipher. --bp.
                                                  burnet.
      1913 webster

   cipher key, a key to assist in reading writings in cipher.
      1913 webster
see also:
zero cipher key 

[4] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

cipher \ci"pher\, v. t.
   1. to write in occult characters.
      1913 webster

            his notes he ciphered with greek characters.
                                                  --hayward.
      1913 webster

   2. to get by ciphering; as, to cipher out the answer.
      1913 webster

   3. to decipher. obs. --shak.
      1913 webster

   4. to designate by characters. obs. --shak.
      1913 webster

[5] : WordNet (r) 2.0

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, null, 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, work out, reckon, figure
see also:
cypher zero 0 nought nothing nil 
nix nada null aught goose egg 
naught zilch zip nobody nonentity 
cryptograph secret code encode code encipher 
encrypt inscribe write in code decode calculate 
compute work out reckon figure 

[6] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

175 moby thesaurus words for "cipher":
   aesopian language, babel, greek, john hancock, x, a nobody,
   a nothing, add, algebraize, allegory, alphabetic character, argot,
   aught, autograph, babble, binary digit, bit, break, calculate,
   cant, cast, character, charactery, christcross, clear up, code,
   coded message, common man, compute, conventional symbol,
   countermark, countersign, countersignature, counterstamp, cross,
   cryptoanalysis, cryptoanalytics, cryptogram, cryptograph,
   cryptographer, cryptography, decipher, device, digit, divide,
   dope out, double dutch, dud, dummy, emblem, encipher, encode,
   endorsement, estimate, extract roots, figure, figure in,
   figure out, figurehead, garble, gibberish, gift of tongues,
   glossolalia, gobbledygook, goose egg, graph, grapheme, hand,
   hollow man, iconology, ideogram, initials, insignificancy, integer,
   invisible ink, jackstraw, jargon, jumble, lay figure, letter,
   lexigraphic character, lightweight, little fellow, little guy,
   logogram, logotype, love knot, man of straw, mark,
   mark of signature, measure, mediocrity, monogram, multiply, nada,
   naught, nebbish, nichts, nihil, nil, nix, no such thing, nobody,
   nobody one knows, noise, nonentity, notation, nothing,
   nothing at all, nothing on earth, nothing whatever, nullity,
   number, numeral, numero, obscurity, phonetic character,
   phonetic symbol, pictogram, pictographic character, pip-squeak,
   punk, puppet, pushover, puzzle out, reckon, resolve, runt, score,
   scramble, scrub, seal, secret language, secret writing, shrimp,
   sigil, sign, sign manual, signature, signet, slang, small fry,
   small potato, small potatoes, squirt, squit, subscription,
   subtract, syllabic, symbol, symbolic system, symbolism,
   symbolization, symbology, sympathetic ink, take account of, tally,
   thing of naught, token, totem, totem pole, trifle, type, unravel,
   unriddle, visa, vise, whiffet, whippersnapper, whole number,
   work out, writing, written character, zero, zilch

[7] : Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

cipher. an arithmetical character, used for numerical notation. vide 
figures, and 13 vin. ab. 210; 18 eng. c. l. r. 95; 1 ch. cr. law, 176. 
     2. by cipher is also understood a mode of secret writing. public 
ministers and other public agents frequently use ciphers in their 
correspondence, and it is sometimes very useful so to correspond in times of 
war. a key is given to each minister before his departure, namely, the 
cipher for writing ciphers, chiffre chiffrant, and the cipher for 
deciphering chiffre dechiffrant. besides these, it is usual to give him a 
common cipher, chiffre banal, which is known to all the ministers of the 
same power, who occasionally use it in their correspondence with each other. 
     3. when it is suspected that, a cipher becomes known to the cabinet 
where the minister is residing, recourse is had to a preconcerted sign in 
order to annul, entirely or in part, what has been written in cipher, or 
rather to indicate that the contents are to be understood in an inverted or 
contrary sense. a cipher of reserve is also employed in extraordinary cases. 

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