Word | cryptography |
---|---|
Date | May 25, 2011 |
Type | noun |
Syllables | krip-TAH-gruh-fee |
Etymology | For a word having to do with secrets, "cryptography" has a surprisingly transparent etymology. The word traces back to the Greek roots "kryptos," meaning "hidden," and "graphein," meaning "to write." "Kryptos" -- which in turn traces to the Greek verb "kryptein," meaning "to hide" -- is a root shared by several English words, including "crypt," "cryptic," and "encrypt." "Krypton," the name of a colorless gaseous element used especially in some fluorescent lamps and photography flashes, also comes from "kryptos." The name was chosen because the gas is rare and hard to find. |
Examples | Effective cryptography is essential for secure exchanges of sensitive information in cyberspace. "At the same time, he was receiving extensive training in cryptography -- something he will still describe only in general terms, so as not to run afoul of the Official Secrets Act." -- From an article by Chris Wilson in Slate, May 17, 2011 |
Definition | : the enciphering and deciphering of messages in secret code or cipher; also : the computerized encoding and decoding of information |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
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