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.

On top of this, the Ask for Ani codeword scheme, which allows victims or those at risk of abuse to discreetly signal they need help, is to be further piloted in Jobcentres around the country.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2023

We’ve all seen the cryptic notations on these documents about special compartments and codeword protections for human and signals intelligence.

From Washington Post • Sep. 6, 2022

Another codeword is the term Grus 200, or Cargo 200.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2022

It’s less a codeword between insiders than a veiled taunt.

From Slate • Nov. 4, 2021

Thus "amber" is the codeword for £1; "heliotrope" for £20; "rainbow" for "win and 1, 2."

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, April 8, 1914 by Various

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