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:
He didn’t know it at the time, but U.S. law enforcement was already on the trail of a trove of stolen crypto that would give him another chance to reclaim his lost funds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The crypto and artificial-intelligence industries are spending big bucks to promote their interests, no matter which party wins control of the House and Senate.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
The firm made an early bet on Miami’s burgeoning crypto economy, opening a Miami office only to close it two years later when the local crypto market tanked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
In 2022, Charles Stilwell began chatting with a user on Facebook Messenger who went by the name Amity Zhang and told him about a supposed crypto investment pool run by her uncle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
“After university I went straight to work as a crypto math researcher at the Doughnut,” she said.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
However, 80,000 bitcoins sit untouched in a now famous crypto- wallet address starting with '1Feex'.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2024
Block, the payments company led by Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, has long been a crypto- backer.
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
Investors may be rotating out of cryptos and into equities ahead of several big initial public offerings, Thahbib Rahman, analyst at crypto analytics firm Block Scholes, said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
When borrowing costs are lower, assets like cryptos become more attractive relative to interest-bearing investments like bonds.
From Barron's ● May 8, 2026
A stable or easing rate environment typically supports risk appetite and cryptos, he added.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
Higher energy prices, linked to fighting in the Middle East, have weighed on the global economy—and risk assets like cryptos more generally.
From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026
There’s no direct link between cryptos and the war, but the geopolitical uncertainty has sapped demand for all sorts of risk assets.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
