decipher

Verb

convert code into ordinary language
read with difficulty
- "Can you decipher this letter?"
To convert a code or cipher to plain text.
To read text that is almost illegible or obscure
To make sense of a complex situation.
To find a solution to a problem.
-ED, -ING, -S to determine the meaning of

Noun

A decipherment; a decoding.

Origin / Etymology

As decypher, but not retaining the y from the Old French etyma of cipher (cyfre, cyffre); the i spelling tends to be preferred etymologically, being consistent with its cognates, the French déchiffrer and the Italian decifrare, and with their common ancestor, the Medieval Latin cifra, cifera, ciphra. By surface analysis, de- + cipher.

Synonyms

decode, decrypt, trace, uncode

Antonyms

encode, encipher, encrypt

Scrabble Score: 16

decipher: valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
decipher: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
decipher: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 17

decipher is a valid Words With Friends word