Pronunciation: (sī'fur), [key] 2. any of the Arabic numerals or
figures. 3. Arabic numerical notation collectively. 4. something
of no value or importance. 5. a person of no influence;
nonentity. 6. a secret method of writing, as by transposition or
substitution of letters, specially formed symbols, or the like.
Cf. cryptography. 7. writing done by such a method; a coded
message. 8. the key to a secret method of writing. 9. a
combination of letters, as the initials of a name, in one
design; monogram. 1. to use figures or numerals arithmetically.
2. to write in or as in cipher. 1. to calculate numerically;
figure. 2. to convert into cipher. Also, esp. Brit.,cypher.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random
House, Inc., on Infoplease.