different between cryptic vs cloudy

English

Alternative forms

• cryptick (obsolete)

Etymology

From Late Latin crypticus, from Ancient Greek ????????? (kruptikós), from ??????? (kruptós, “hidden”), from ?????? (krúpt?, “to hide”). Compare cryptology.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k??pt?k/

Adjective

cryptic (comparative more cryptic, superlative most cryptic)

1. Having hidden meaning.
2. Mystified or of an obscure nature.
3. Involving use of a code or cipher.
4. Of a crossword, or a clue in such a crossword, using, in addition to definitions, wordplay such as anagrams, homophones and hidden words to indicate solutions.
5. (zoology) Well camouflaged; having good camouflage.

6. (zoology) Serving as camouflage.
7. (biology, not comparable) Apparently identical, but actually genetically distinct.

8. (zoology) Living in a cavity or small cave.

   Synonym: (less common) cryptozoic

   • 1999, Rachel Wood, Reef Evolution, p. 95:

     Much of the Permian Capitan reef was strongly differentiated into open surface and cryptic communities.

Translations

Noun

cryptic (plural cryptics)

1. (informal) A cryptic crossword.
   • 2009, Bill Taylor, Building a crossword (in Toronto Star, 1 February 2009)

     This writer has been solving cryptics for 40 years and can usually crack Araucaria, though it might take a couple of days.

Derived terms

• cryptically
• cryptogram

English

Etymology

From Middle English cloudy (“cloudy, overcast, gloomy, dark", also "hilly, rocky”), from Old English cl?di? (“stony, rocky”), equivalent to cloud +? -y.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?kla?di/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?a?di/
• (Northern England) IPA^(key): /?kla??d?/
• Rhymes: -a?di

Adjective

cloudy (comparative cloudier, superlative cloudiest)

1. Covered with or characterised by clouds; overcast.
2. Not transparent or clear.
3. Uncertain; unclear.
4. (computing, informal) Using or relating to cloud computing.

   a cloudy infrastructure

5. (slang, archaic) shady; sketchy; suspicious

Derived terms

• cloudily
• cloudiness

Translations

Middle English

Alternative forms

• cloudi, clowdy, clowdie
• (Early ME) cludi?

Etymology

From Old English cl?di?; equivalent to cloud +? -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?klu?di?/

Adjective

cloudy

1. Covered with or characterised by clouds; clouded.
2. Not transparent or clear; murky, gloomy.
3. (rare) Inspiring dread; scary, frightening.
4. (rare) Featuring rocks; rocky, stony.

Related terms

• cloudy

Descendants

• English: cloudy
• Scots: cluddy, cloody

References

• “cl?ud?, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.