A Word A Day : Cryptic





Tuesday, 4th September 2007 : Today's Word is ...

Cryptic



( Adjective )


Pronunciation : krip'tik

1. Having hidden meaning

2. Mystifying, difficult to explain or understand

3. Secret or occult

4. Using code or cipher

5. Biology : Tending to conceal or camouflage


Etymology:


Late Latin crypticus, from Greek kruptikos, from kruptos, hidden, from kruptein, to hide


Synonyms:


1. Arcane

2. Cabalistic

3. Enigmatic

4. Mysterious

5. Mystic

6. Mystical

7. Mystifying

8. Occult

9. Puzzling

10. Inscrutable

11. Mysterious

12. Incomprehensible

13. Inexplicable

14. Deep


Antonyms:


1. Clear

2. Obvious

3. Plain

4. Seen

5. Straightforward


Contextual Example:


• A cryptic message was written on the rock by the cave entrance.

• The father and daughter would have been quite content, apparently, to eat their dinner in silence, or with a few cryptic remarks expressed in a shorthand which could not be understood by the servants.


Related Words:


Cryptically : Adverb

Crypticness : Noun




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