different between indecipherable vs cryptic

English

Etymology

From in- +? decipherable.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?nd??sa?f???b?l/, /?nd??sa?f??b?l/, /?nd?-/

Adjective

indecipherable (comparative more indecipherable, superlative most indecipherable)

1. Not decipherable; impossible to decode, read, understand or comprehend.

   The doctor's handwriting was indecipherable.

Synonyms

• undecipherable
• unreadable
• illegible

Antonyms

• decipherable

Translations

Further reading

• indecipherable, undecipherable at Google Ngram Viewer

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