crypto

¹ American  

[krip-toh] / ˈkrɪp toʊ /

noun

plural

cryptos

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

2. cryptocurrency.

3. cryptography.

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adjective

1. secret or hidden; not publicly admitted.

   a crypto Nazi.

crypto- ² American  

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

   cryptograph.

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crypto- British  

combining form

1. secret, hidden, or concealed

   cryptography

   crypto-fascist

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of crypto¹

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

Origin of crypto-¹

Combining form representing Greek kryptós hidden. See crypt

Example Sentences

In addition to SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic, Alden says demand is likely to be strong for other well-known, large private companies that could be entering public markets in a few months, such as crypto firm Kraken, group chat service Discord, and fitness app Strava.

From Barron's

In addition to SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic, Alden says demand is likely to be strong for other well-known, large private companies that could be entering public markets in a few months, such as crypto firm Kraken, group chat service Discord, and fitness app Strava.

From Barron's

The market began to fill with “crypto treasury companies” as Bitcoin rose in price yet remained intimidating and inaccessible to most people.

From Slate

With crypto becoming easier to buy than ever, and Strategy’s stock in a tailspin, that spell now appears to be breaking as the market questions whether this middleman deserves to exist at all.

From Slate

Bitcoin was rising in price, but there were no crypto exchange-traded funds, for which you could give your money to an asset manager and have it buy Bitcoin for you for a small fee.

From Slate