English Explanatory Dictionary

cryptic

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Having hidden (unapparent) meaning.
  2. Mystified or of an obscure nature; not easy to perceive.
  3. Involving use of a code or cipher.
  4. Of a crossword puzzle, or a clue in such a puzzle, using, in addition to definitions, wordplay such as anagrams, homophones and hidden words to indicate solutions.
  5. Well camouflaged; having good camouflage.
  6. Serving as camouflage.
  7. Apparently identical, but actually genetically distinct.
  8. Living in a cavity or small cave.
noun
  1. A cryptic crossword puzzle.
name
  1. An epoch from 4567 to 4150 million years ago, a subdivision of the Prenectarian.

Pronunciation

/ˈkɹɪptɪk/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-cryptic.wav

Word forms

cryptic more cryptic most cryptic cryptick cryptics the Cryptic

Etymology

From Late Latin crypticus, from Ancient Greek κρυπτικός (kruptikós), from κρυπτός (kruptós, “hidden”), from κρύπτω (krúptō, “to hide”). Doublet of kryptic.

Synonyms

cryptozoic

Related words

crypto-

Derived words

anticryptic cryptic crossword cryptic definition crypticity crypticness cryptic ovulation cryptic species holocryptic noncryptic pseudocryptic semicryptic uncryptic advanced cryptic cryptically cryptogram
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