crypto
noun
a person who secretly supports or adheres to a group, party, or belief.
crypto
1 American
[krip-toh]
/ ˈkrɪp toʊ /
noun
-
cryptos
plural
-
a person who secretly supports or adheres to a group, party, or belief.
adjective
crypto-
2
American
crypto-
British
combining form
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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of crypto1
First recorded in 1945–50; probably independent use of crypto-; cf. -o
Origin of crypto-2
Combining form representing Greek kryptós hidden. See crypt
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.
See Examples For:
The attack on Binance has been attributed to TraderTraitor, a North Korean cybercrime group also known as the Lazarus Group, which stole a then-record $1.5bn from crypto exchange Bybit in 2025.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Binance, which is the world's largest crypto exchange by daily trading volumes, had suspended user withdrawals after the attack.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
Several neocloud firms have their roots in the volatile crypto mining industry, made of companies that generate cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Security firms that monitor activity on blockchains, the digital ledgers where crypto transactions are recorded, had also spotted the anomaly at Binance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
“After university I went straight to work as a crypto math researcher at the Doughnut,” she said.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Block, the payments company led by Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, has long been a crypto- backer.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2024
However, 80,000 bitcoins sit untouched in a now famous crypto- wallet address starting with '1Feex'.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2024
Tomorrow’s crypto- and blockchain-enhanced internet may achieve the same for value.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 5, 2022
That’s part of the reason for the crypto- prefix that shows up on words like “cryptocurrency.”
From The Verge ● Sep. 9, 2021
Her obsessive pursuit of a crypto- archaeological item is solidly in the “Raiders” playbook as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2018
Giancarlo: With bitcoin, uniquely among all these cryptos, it also is a debasement trade.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
“The charts of bitcoin, and other leading cryptos, continue to look encouraging from a technical point of view,” David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation, said in recent emailed notes to clients.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Shares of Strategy jump in premarket trading, while Bitcoin and other cryptos also gain.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
One problem for cryptos is that liquidity has dried up, because other risk-on assets have offered sizable returns in recent weeks.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
Ethereum, the second-biggest cryptos, and popular altcoin XRP fell by 3.3% and 2.7%, respectively.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
