cipher
Translation
cipher, code, nonentity
Examples
The message was written in a complex cipher.
The message was written in a complex cipher.
To his boss, he was just a cipher.
To his boss, he was just a cipher.
Grammar Patterns
in ((cipher)) The secret documents were written in cipher.
to be a ((cipher)) He felt like a cipher in the large corporation.
Similar Words
Synonyms: code, cryptogram; (person) nonentity, nobody
Etymology
From Arabic 'sifr', meaning 'zero' or 'empty'. This is because early codes often used numbers.
Memory Tips
Think of 'zero'. A cipher (code) makes a message look like nothing (zero), and a cipher (person) is seen as a nobody (zero).