decipher

[ dih-sahy-fer ]

/ dɪˈsaɪ fər /

SEE 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.

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OK Boomer can be perceived as pejorative, but it is mostly considered to be _____

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Origin of decipher

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

SYNONYMS FOR decipher

2 comprehend, solve, unravel, explain.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR decipher ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM decipher

de·ci·pher·a·ble, adjectivede·ci·pher·a·bil·i·ty, nounde·ci·pher·er, nounde·ci·pher·ment, noun

un·de·ci·pher·a·ble, adjectiveun·de·ci·pher·a·bly, adverbun·de·ci·phered, adjective

Words nearby decipher

decimate, decimeter, decimetre, decimus, decinormal, decipher, decision, decision procedure, decision support system, decision table, decision theory

Example sentences from the Web for decipher

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
Many attempts have been made to decipher the writing, which apparently was carved into the rock at several different periods.
North Dakota|Various
Often he had hieroglyphics to decipher which would have given trouble to a professor of paleontology.
The Heart of Pinocchio|Collodi Nipote
And still he dreaded the approach of the day when he should decipher its awful meaning.
Masterpieces of Mystery|Various
There was a signature scrawled in one corner, and I bent closer to decipher it.
That Affair at Elizabeth|Burton E. Stevenson
There is likely someone in the shop who can decipher the illegible writing.
The Triumphs of Eugne Valmont|Robert Barr

British Dictionary definitions for decipher

decipher

/ (dɪˈsaɪfə) /

verb (tr)

to determine the meaning of (something obscure or illegible)

to convert from code into plain text; decode

Derived forms of decipher

decipherable, 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

decipher

verb (used with object)

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Origin of decipher

SYNONYMS FOR decipher

OTHER WORDS FROM decipher

Words nearby decipher

Words related to decipher

Example sentences from the Web for decipher

British Dictionary definitions for decipher

verb (tr)

Derived forms of decipher