decipher

[dih-sahy-fer]

See more synonyms for decipher on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to make out the meaning of (poor or partially obliterated writing, etc.): to decipher a hastily scribbled note.
to discover the meaning of (anything obscure or difficult to trace or understand): to decipher hieroglyphics.
to interpret by the use of a key, as something written in cipher: to decipher a secret message.

Obsolete. to depict; portray.

Origin of decipher

1520–30; translation of Middle French déchiffrer. See de-, cipher

Related formsde·ci·pher·a·ble, adjectivede·ci·pher·a·bil·i·ty, nounde·ci·pher·er, nounde·ci·pher·ment, nounun·de·ci·pher·a·ble, adjectiveun·de·ci·pher·a·bly, adverbun·de·ci·phered, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for decipher on Thesaurus.com

2. comprehend, solve, unravel, explain.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for decipher

Contemporary Examples

It was beyond the capacity of any human cryptologist to decipher the signals.
The Castration of Alan Turing, Britain’s Code-Breaking WWII Hero
Clive Irving
November 29, 2014
I never owned a copy but I knew people who did, and we spent hours in dorm rooms trying to decipher what was on it.
Digging the Gold in Dylan’s ‘Basement’
Malcolm Jones
November 5, 2014
For those few months it may have appeared quite simple to decipher the good from the bad.
An Ex-Radical's Open Letter to ISIS Fighters: Quit Now While You Can!
Maajid Nawaz
September 10, 2014
The duchess sat at a replica radio to hear, learn about, and decipher morse code.
Kate Middleton’s Code-Breaking Granny: Duchess Uncovers Wartime Secrets
Tim Teeman
June 19, 2014
After a brief exchange to decipher why Smith, Alencar, and Mousa wanted to go to Syria, the journalists told them to go home.
War Tourists Flock to Syria’s Front Lines
Ben Taub
November 2, 2013

Historical Examples

Many others are so defaced that it is impossible to decipher them.
Harriet, The Moses of Her People
Sarah H. Bradford
There is not a living eye that could now decipher these memorials.
The New Adam and Eve (From "Mosses From An Old Manse")
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Of Greek I can decipher perhaps the greater part of the Greek alphabet.
A Treatise on Parents and Children
George Bernard Shaw
To decipher the message, a special code-book or dictionary would be required.
Heroes of the Telegraph
J. Munro
And still he dreaded the approach of the day when he should decipher its awful meaning.
Masterpieces of Mystery
Various

British Dictionary definitions for decipher

decipher

verb (tr)

to determine the meaning of (something obscure or illegible)
to convert from code into plain text; decode

Derived Formsdecipherable, adjectivedecipherability, noundecipherer, noundecipherment, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for decipher

v.

1520s, from de- + cipher. Perhaps in part a loan-translation from Middle French déchiffrer. Related: Deciphered; deciphering.

decipher

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}decipher

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for decipher

Contemporary Examples

It was beyond the capacity of any human cryptologist to decipher the signals.

I never owned a copy but I knew people who did, and we spent hours in dorm rooms trying to decipher what was on it.

For those few months it may have appeared quite simple to decipher the good from the bad.

The duchess sat at a replica radio to hear, learn about, and decipher morse code.

After a brief exchange to decipher why Smith, Alencar, and Mousa wanted to go to Syria, the journalists told them to go home.

Historical Examples

Many others are so defaced that it is impossible to decipher them.

There is not a living eye that could now decipher these memorials.

Of Greek I can decipher perhaps the greater part of the Greek alphabet.

To decipher the message, a special code-book or dictionary would be required.

And still he dreaded the approach of the day when he should decipher its awful meaning.

decipher

Word Origin and History for decipher

v.

Origin of decipher