• n. 密碼；暗號；零
• vi. 使用密碼；計算；做算術
• vt. 計算；做算術；將…譯成密碼

來自阿拉伯語sifr,零，詞源同zero.因為古人早期對數字零的認識不足，該詞逐漸被賦予神秘 色彩，詞義也由零引申為密碼。

cipher

cipher: [14] The central meaning of cipher is ‘zero’ (a word to which it is related); its use since the 16th century in connection with encrypted communications derives from the fact that in their earliest forms such codes usually consisted of numbers representing letters, and cipher had by then broadened in use from ‘nought’ to ‘any numeral’. It entered English through Old French cifre, which came via medieval Latin cifra from Arabic sifr (source of English zero); this was a nominal use of an adjective meaning ‘empty’.
=> zero

cipher (n.)

late 14c., "arithmetical symbol for zero," from Old French cifre "nought, zero," Medieval Latin cifra, with Spanish and Italian cifra, ultimately from Arabic sifr "zero," literally "empty, nothing," from safara "to be empty;" loan-translation of Sanskrit sunya-s "empty." The word came to Europe with Arabic numerals. Originally in English "zero," then "any numeral" (early 15c.), then (first in French and Italian) "secret way of writing; coded message" (a sense first attested in English 1520s), because early codes often substituted numbers for letters. Klein says Modern French chiffre is from Italian cifra.

cipher (v.)

"to do arithmetic" (with Arabic numerals), 1520s, from cipher (n.). Meaning "to write in code" is from 1560s. Related: Ciphered; ciphering.

1. a message in cipher

密碼信

來自《權威詞典》

2. All important plans were sent to the police in cipher.

所有重要計劃均以密碼送往警方.

來自《現代漢英綜合大詞典》

3. It's a telegram in cipher.

這是密碼電報.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

4. He's a mere cipher in the company.

他在公司里是個無足輕重的小人物.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

5. I couldn't cipher out his motives.

我猜不出他的動機.

來自《現代英漢綜合大詞典》