cryptogram

noun

cryp·​to·​gram ˈkrip-tə-ˌgram How to pronounce cryptogram (audio)
1
: a communication in cipher or code
2
: a figure or representation having a hidden significance

Examples of cryptogram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Swiss judiciary uses a system of letters and numbers to create pseudonyms for appellants, respondents, and anyone else involved, turning a case file into a cryptogram. Jay Fielden, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024 To this day, authorities have not formally named anyone as the Zodiac Killer, and only two of his cryptograms have been solved. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Apr. 2024 Like them, Schulz wrote about frustrated messianic longing, his resentment and awe of his father, and the tormenting intuition that the world is a cryptogram that will never be solved. Adam Kirsch, The New Republic, 6 Apr. 2023 Less and less, after forty years of living with the poem, am I tempted to regard it, or shun it, as a cryptogram. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2022 At some point in the morning, a large wooden cryptogram is wheeled out onto the stage. Heather Platt, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2022 Each time a chip card is used, the card itself computes a secret value (known as a cryptogram) that is sent to the issuer of the card, who can use it to validate that the actual physical card was used in the transaction. Rui Ribeiro, Forbes, 8 Aug. 2022 Each letter also included one-third of a 408-symbol cryptogram that the suspect said would reveal his identity. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 12 Dec. 2020 One of the most alarming pieces of evidence that Stewart uncovered was actually finding his dad’s name in one of the Zodiac Killer’s infamous cryptograms. Rachel Paige, refinery29.com, 6 Mar. 2020

Word History

Etymology

crypto- + -gram, after cryptograph, cryptography

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cryptogram was in 1827

Dictionary Entries Near cryptogram

Cite this Entry

“Cryptogram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cryptogram. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

cryptogram

noun
cryp·​to·​gram ˈkrip-tə-ˌgram How to pronounce cryptogram (audio)
: something written in cipher or code
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