codeword

British

/ ˈkəʊdˌwɜːd /

noun

Also: codename. (esp in military use) a word used to identify a classified plan, operation, etc

"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

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.

One used the codeword "smelly bananas" to signal things were getting too much.

From BBC

At more than half of the 25 London venues tested, staff were completely unaware of what the emergency codeword meant despite their venues displaying Ask for Angela posters.

From BBC

The investigation found widespread confusion among staff, with many completely unaware of what the codeword meant despite their venues displaying Ask for Angela posters.

From BBC

The RAF personnel used "zombie" as their codeword for a Russian plane acting suspiciously.

From BBC

A warning with a recognised codeword is understood to have been given less than an hour before the explosion in Guildhall Square.

From BBC

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