(亦作cypher)
1
- a secret or disguised way of writing; a code密码：
he wrote cryptic notes in a cipher
他用密码书写秘密笔记
mass noun the information may be given in cipher.信息可能是以密码给出的。
1.1
- something written in such a code以密码书写的东西。
1.2
- a key to such a code解码。
2
- dated a zero; a figure 0.〈旧〉零; 数字0.
2.1
- figurative a person or thing of no importance, especially a person who does the bidding of others and seems to have no will of their own〈喻〉无足轻重的人（尤指听命于人而无主见的人）; 不重要的东西。
3
- a monogram交织字母, 花押字。
1
- with obj. put (a message) into secret writing; encode.把（消息）写成密码。
2
- no obj. archaic do arithmetic〈古〉做算术。
词源
late Middle English （in the senses 'symbol for zero' and 'arabic numeral'）： from Old French cifre, based on Arabic sifr 'zero'.