crypto

¹

[krip-toh]

noun

plural

cryptos 

1. a person who secretly supports or adheres to a group, party, or belief.

2. cryptocurrency.

3. cryptography.

adjective

1. secret or hidden; not publicly admitted.

   a crypto Nazi.

crypto-

²

1. a combining form meaning “hidden,” “secret,” used in the formation of compound words.

   cryptograph.

crypto-

combining form

1. secret, hidden, or concealed

   cryptography

   crypto-fascist

Word History and Origins

Origin of crypto-¹

First recorded in 1945–50; probably independent use of crypto-; -o

Origin of crypto-²

Combining form representing Greek kryptós hidden. See crypt

Word History and Origins

Origin of crypto-¹

New Latin, from Greek kruptos hidden, from kruptein to hide

Example Sentences

While crypto has fallen before, analysts said the sharp downturn exposed the extreme leverage that had fueled a monthslong rally, which began after the election of an administration seen as friendly to the industry.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Ahead of the selloff, two accounts on Hyperliquid, a decentralized exchange that allows investors to make leveraged bets on future crypto prices, placed massive bets that bitcoin and ether would fall.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

CoinGlass, a crypto data platform, noted that the scale of the selloff is likely underreported, as many platforms don’t publish liquidation data.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While Sprung didn’t have firsthand experience buying crypto, he did know someone who learned a painful lesson.

Read more on MarketWatch

“Before coming to us, a client had bought $150,000 in crypto,” Sprung said.

Read more on MarketWatch

When To Use

What does crypto- mean?

Crypto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “hidden, secret.” It is used in many scientific, medical, and other technical terms.Crypto- comes from the Greek kryptós, meaning “hidden.” The word crypt also derives from this root. Dig up the connection at our entry for the word.In anatomy, crypto- specifically refers to a crypt in its specialized sense of a “slender pit or recess” or a “small glandular cavity.”What are variants of crypto-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, crypto- becomes crypt-, as in cryptitis.