Definition:Cipher

Disambiguation

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Cipher may refer to:

• Arithmetic:
  • Cipher: An outdated term for the zero digit, especially when used as a placeholder in a number expressed in basis representation form.
  • Cipher: An outdated term for any of the Arabic numerals.
  • Cipher: An archaic term for act of calculation, particularly using the process of algorism.

• Cryptography:
  • Cipher: An algorithm for converting plaintext into ciphertext.

Linguistic Note

The word cipher can also be found in its less common spelling: cypher.

The word ultimately derives from the Arabic صِفْر‎ (ṣifr), meaning zero or empty.

Sources

• 1989: Ephraim J. Borowski and Jonathan M. Borwein: Dictionary of Mathematics ... (previous) ... (next): cypher
• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): cypher
• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): cypher
• 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): cypher}
• 2021: Richard Earl and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (6th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): cypher