cryptogram

American  

[krip-tuh-gram] / ˈkrɪp təˌgræm /

noun

1. a message or writing in code or cipher; cryptograph.

2. an occult symbol or representation.

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Other Word Forms

• cryptogrammatic adjective
• cryptogrammatical adjective
• cryptogrammatist noun
• cryptogrammic adjective

Etymology

Origin of cryptogram

First recorded in 1875–80; crypto- + -gram ¹

Example Sentences

It appears to be a cryptogram, some wheat deposit intelligence that demanded secrecy.

From Salon

If, for example, there’s a “Z” at the end of the trail and a “Y” with the butterfly, for every “Z” in the cryptogram text, you replace it with an “Y” to decipher the quotation.

From New York Times

The parchment contained a 17-line cryptogram which apparently revealed where his treasure was buried.

From BBC

He was a cryptogram enthusiast, and spent time in a mental health hospital.

From The Guardian

Two men with conflicting agendas each seek a prophetic cryptogram written on a page from a murdered rabbi’s notebook.

From Los Angeles Times