Cipher vs. Code — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Cipher and Code

Compare with Definitions

Cipher

In cryptography, a cipher (or cypher) is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption—a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is encipherment.

Code

In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication channel or storage in a storage medium. An early example is an invention of language, which enabled a person, through speech, to communicate what they thought, saw, heard, or felt to others.

Cipher

The mathematical symbol (0) denoting absence of quantity; zero.

Code

A system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others, especially for the purposes of secrecy

The Americans cracked their diplomatic code

Messages written in code

Cipher

An Arabic numeral or figure; a number.

Code

Program instructions

Assembly code

Cipher

One having no influence or value; a nonentity.

Code

A systematic collection of laws or statutes

A revision of the penal code

Cipher

A cryptographic system in which units of text of regular length, usually letters, are transposed or substituted according to a predetermined code.

Code

Convert (the words of a message) into a code so as to convey a secret meaning

Only Mitch knew how to read the message—even the name was coded

Cipher

The key to such a system.

Code

Write code for (a computer program)

Most developers code C + + like C

I no longer actively code in PHP

Cipher

A message written or transmitted in such a system.

Code

Be the genetic code for (an amino acid or protein)

Genes that code for human growth hormone

Cipher

A design combining or interweaving letters or initials; a monogram.

Code

A system of signals used to represent letters or numbers in transmitting messages.

Cipher

To solve problems in arithmetic; calculate.

Code

A system of symbols, letters, or words given certain arbitrary meanings, used for transmitting messages requiring secrecy or brevity.

Cipher

To put in secret writing; encode.

Code

An access code.

Cipher

To solve by means of arithmetic.

Code

A special command, such as a sequence of keystrokes, that allows a user to activate a hidden or accidental feature in a computer program or video game.

Cipher

A numeric character.

Code

The information that constitutes a specific computer program.

Cipher

Any text character.

Code

A system of symbols and rules that serve as instructions for a computer.

Cipher

A combination or interweaving of letters, as the initials of a name.

A painter's cipher

An engraver's cipher

Code

(Genetics) The genetic code.

Cipher

A method of transforming a text in order to conceal its meaning.

The message was written in a simple cipher. Anyone could figure it out.

Code

A systematically arranged and comprehensive collection of laws.

Cipher

(cryptography) A cryptographic system using an algorithm that converts letters or sequences of bits into ciphertext.

A public-key cipher

Code

A systematic collection of regulations or rules of procedure or conduct

A building code.

Cipher

Ciphertext; a message concealed via a cipher.

The message is clearly a cipher, but I can't figure it out.

Code

(Medicine) Code blue.

Cipher

A grouping of three digits in a number, especially when delimited by commas or periods:

The probability is 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000 — a number having five ciphers of zeros.

Code

(Slang) A patient whose heart has stopped beating, as in cardiac arrest.

Cipher

(music) A fault in an organ valve which causes a pipe to sound continuously without the key having been pressed.

Code

To convert (a message, for example) into code.

Cipher

A hip-hop jam session.

Code

To systematize and arrange (laws and regulations) into a code.

Cipher

(slang) The path (usually circular) shared cannabis takes through a group, an occasion of cannabis smoking.

Code

To assign a code to (something) for identification or classification

Coded each response to the survey by age and gender.

Cipher

Someone or something of no importance.

Code

To express or convey (words) in a manner that implies a different meaning

A novel that codes references to a character's sexuality in descriptions of clothing.

Cipher

(dated) Zero.

Code

To specify the genetic code for an amino acid or a polypeptide

A gene that codes for an enzyme.

Cipher

To calculate.

I never learned much more than how to read and cipher.

Code

To specify the genetic code for a trait or characteristic

A gene that codes for red hair.

Cipher

(intransitive) To write in code or cipher.

Code

(Computers) To write or revise a computer program.

Cipher

Of an organ pipe: to sound independent of the organ.

Code

(Slang) To go into cardiac arrest.

Cipher

(obsolete) To decipher.

Code

A short symbol, often with little relation to the item it represents.

This flavour of soup has been assigned the code WRT-9.

Cipher

A character [0] which, standing by itself, expresses nothing, but when placed at the right hand of a whole number, increases its value tenfold.

Code

A body of law, sanctioned by legislation, in which the rules of law to be specifically applied by the courts are set forth in systematic form; a compilation of laws by public authority; a digest.

Cipher

One who, or that which, has no weight or influence.

Here he was a mere cipher.

Code

Any system of principles, rules or regulations relating to one subject.

The medical code is a system of rules for the regulation of the professional conduct of physicians.

The naval code is a system of rules for making communications at sea by means of signals.

Cipher

A character in general, as a figure or letter.

This wisdom began to be written in ciphers and characters and letters bearing the forms of creatures.

Code

A set of rules for converting information into another form or representation.

Cipher

A combination or interweaving of letters, as the initials of a name; a device; a monogram; as, a painter's cipher, an engraver's cipher, etc. The cut represents the initials N. W.

Code

By synecdoche: a codeword, code point, an encoded representation of a character, symbol, or other entity.

The ASCII code of "A" is 65.

Cipher

A private alphabet, system of characters, or other mode of writing, contrived for the safe transmission of secrets; also, a writing in such characters.

His father . . . engaged him when he was very young to write all his letters to England in cipher.

Code

A message represented by rules intended to conceal its meaning.

Cipher

Of the nature of a cipher; of no weight or influence.

Code

(cryptography) A cryptographic system using a codebook that converts words or phrases into codewords.

Cipher

To use figures in a mathematical process; to do sums in arithmetic.

"T was certain he could write and cipher too.

Code

Instructions for a computer, written in a programming language; the input of a translator, an interpreter or a browser, namely: source code, machine code, bytecode.

Object-oriented C++ code is easier to understand for a human than C code.

I wrote some code to reformat text documents.

This HTML code may be placed on your web page.

Cipher

To write in occult characters.

His notes he ciphered with Greek characters.

Code

(scientific programming) A program.

Cipher

To get by ciphering; as, to cipher out the answer.

Code

(linguistics) A particular lect or language variety.

Cipher

To decipher.

Code

(medicine) An emergency requiring situation-trained members of the staff.

Cipher

To designate by characters.

Code

(informal) A set of unwritten rules that bind a social group.

Girl code

Cipher

A message written in a secret code

Code

(computing) To write software programs.

I learned to code on an early home computer in the 1980s.

Cipher

A mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number

Code

To add codes to a dataset.

Cipher

A quantity of no importance;

It looked like nothing I had ever seen before

Reduced to nil all the work we had done

We racked up a pathetic goose egg

It was all for naught

I didn't hear zilch about it

Code

To categorise by assigning identifiers from a schedule, for example CPT coding for medical insurance purposes.

Cipher

A person of no influence

Code

(cryptography) To encode.

We should code the messages we send out on Usenet.

Cipher

A secret method of writing

Code

To encode a protein.

Cipher

Convert ordinary language into code;

We should encode the message for security reasons

Code

(medicine) To call a hospital emergency code.

Coding in the CT scanner

Cipher

Make a mathematical calculation or computation

Code

To go into a state where a hospital emergency code is required to save one's life.

He coded out of nowhere

Code

(medicine) Of a patient, to suffer a sudden medical emergency a code blue such as cardiac arrest.

Code

A body of law, sanctioned by legislation, in which the rules of law to be specifically applied by the courts are set forth in systematic form; a compilation of laws by public authority; a digest.

Code

Any system of rules or regulations relating to one subject; as, the medical code, a system of rules for the regulation of the professional conduct of physicians; the naval code, a system of rules for making communications at sea means of signals.