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decipher

/dɪˈsaɪfər/
/dɪˈsaɪfə/
IPA guide

Other forms: deciphered; deciphering; deciphers

Decipher means translate from code, or more generally, figure out. If you can’t decipher your teacher's writing, it means you can't read it. You might feel like you're being asked to decipher a code.

During World War II, the Nazis used a machine called the Enigma to encode secret messages. An operator would type the message with a keyboard, which would activate a set of rotors, giving each letter a different value. The code was difficult for the Allies to crack, but eventually the code was deciphered by the British, hastening the end of the war.

Definitions of decipher
  1. verb
    convert code into ordinary language
    synonyms: decode, decrypt
    see moresee less
    type of:
    rewrite
    write differently; alter the writing of
  2. verb
    read with difficulty
    “Can you decipher this letter?”
    synonyms: trace
    see moresee less
    type of:
    read
    interpret something that is written or printed
Pronunciation
US
/dɪˈsaɪfər/
UK
/dɪˈsaɪfə/
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