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-²

Combining form representing Greek kryptós hidden. See crypt

Example Sentences

Franklin, known for marketing mutual funds for individual investors, made an early entry into crypto in 2018 and has assembled a digital-assets team of more than 50 people.

From The Wall Street Journal

The new crypto arm, to be named Franklin Crypto following the close of the deal, will offer strategies that appeal to pensions, sovereign-wealth funds and other institutional investors, said Sandy Kaul, Franklin’s head of innovation.

From The Wall Street Journal

It has a partnership with Binance that offers investors Franklin’s tokenized money-market fund as collateral on the crypto exchange.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This big selloff that we had in the crypto markets is creating a very unique opportunity that really made us all decide that this is the right time to pull the trigger, “ Kaul told The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Because I think that there’s going to be a lot of interest in creating more of a stable home for many of these top crypto trading talents.”

From The Wall Street Journal