encipher

American

[en-sahy-fer] / ɛnˈsaɪ fər /

verb (used with object)

to convert (a message, communication, etc.) into cipher.

encipher British

/ ɪnˈsaɪfə /

verb

(tr) to convert (a message, document, etc) from plain text into code or cipher; encode

"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

Other Word Forms

encipherer noun
encipherment noun
unenciphered adjective

Etymology

Origin of encipher

First recorded in 1570–80; en- ¹ + cipher

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Then you wait. You wait for someone to hand you a message to encipher. At that point you’ll need to pick a starting position and message key—six letters.”

From Literature

“And of course, what they mean by that is enciphered messages.”

From Scientific American

He helped accelerate Allied efforts to read German Naval messages enciphered with the Enigma machine, and so shortening World War Two and saving lives.

From BBC

“When this was first encountered, and I had puzzled over it for all the time I could spare,” Elizebeth wrote, “I decided to make the assumption that it was enciphered code.”

From Literature

The work of Turing helped accelerate Allied efforts to read German Naval messages enciphered with the Enigma machine.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023