undecipher

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word undecipher. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word undecipher, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say undecipher in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word undecipher you have here. The definition of the word undecipher will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofundecipher, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Etymology

un- (intensifier) +‎ decipher

Verb

undecipher (third-person singular simple present undeciphers, present participle undeciphering, simple past and past participle undeciphered)

  1. (transitive, rare) To decipher.
    • 1644 March 3, Robert King, “”, in Thomas Carte, editor, Collection of Letters, Written by the Kings Charles I and II and Other Great Men during the Troubles of Great Britain and Ireland , volume 3, published 1735, page 389:
      I am sure your Lordship is concerned in the former, and I think also in the latter; a good part whereof was written in characters, and cyphers set for the names. He that did undecypher it is a most honest man, and is very confident he hath hit it right.
    • 1654, Edmund Gayton, Pleasant Notes upon Don Quixot, page 6:
      It were very good policy in times of warre, suites, or jealousie, to learne to undecipher mouths, lookes, and gates; there is more to be got out of them, then out of this extaticall speech []
    • 1791, Johann Wilhelm von Archenholz, translated by Joseph Trapp, A Picture of Italy, page 227:
      The extraordinary beauty of the delinquent made several painters of those times draw her portrait, many copies of which are still to be found in Rome, exhibiting the softest features, and a Lavater would have had much ado to undecypher from them the blackness of the soul.
    • 2008, Alexandra Anna Enrica van der Geer, Animals in Stone: Indian Mammals Sculptured Through Time, page 384:
      Many attempts have been made to undecipher the script, but at present there is a lot of controversy on this matter. The only remaining clue as to unravel the meaning of the images is offered by comparison with similar subjects.

Related terms

Anagrams