decipher

[dih-sahy-fer]

verb (used with object)

1. to make out the meaning of (poor or partially obliterated writing, etc.).

   to decipher a hastily scribbled note.

2. to discover the meaning of (anything obscure or difficult to trace or understand).

   to decipher hieroglyphics.

   Synonyms: explain, unravel, solve, comprehend

3. to interpret by the use of a key, as something written in cipher.

   to decipher a secret message.

4. Obsolete.,  to depict; portray.

decipher

/ dɪˈsaɪfə /

verb

1. to determine the meaning of (something obscure or illegible)

2. to convert from code into plain text; decode

Other Word Forms

• decipherable adjective
• decipherability noun
• decipherer noun
• decipherment noun
• undecipherable adjective
• undecipherably adverb
• undeciphered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of decipher¹

First recorded in 1520–30; translation of Middle French déchiffrer; equivalent to de- + cipher

Example Sentences

How much of the archaic lingo below can you decipher?

Read more on Wall Street Journal

There are so many terms to decipher, coverage limits to select and fine print to sort through.

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Determining what the US wants out of the talks has been difficult to decipher.

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Jokes around the notoriously bad handwriting of many doctors that can only be deciphered by pharmacists are common in India, as around the world.

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It was used to help decipher the genetic code, and in the 1970s it became the first organism to be genetically engineered when foreign DNA was inserted into it – laying the foundation for modern biotechnology.

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Related Words

• analyze 
• break down 
• decode 
• deduce 
• elucidate 
• interpret 
• solve 
• translate 
• unravel