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.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of decipher

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

OTHER WORDS FROM decipher

Words nearby decipher

decimate, decimeter, decimetre, decimus, decinormal, decipher, decision, decision procedure, decision support system, decision table, decision theory
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to decipher

analyze, elucidate, decode, deduce, unravel, solve, translate, interpret, expound, render, disentangle, read, explain, spell, reveal, break, cipher, unfold, crack, construe

Example sentences from the Web for decipher

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