cryptic

cryp·tic

 (krĭp′tĭk) also cryp·ti·cal (-tĭ-kəl)

adj.

1. Having hidden meaning; mystifying. See Synonyms at mysterious.

2. Secret or occult.

3. Using code or cipher.

4. Biology Tending to conceal or camouflage: cryptic coloring.

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

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cryp′ti·cal·ly adv.

cryp′tic·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cryptic

(ˈkrɪptɪk) or

cryptical

adj

1. hidden; secret; occult

2. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) (esp of comments, sayings, etc) obscure in meaning

3. (Zoology) (of the coloration of animals) tending to conceal by disguising or camouflaging the shape

[C17: from Late Latin crypticus, from Greek kruptikos, from kruptos concealed; see crypt]

ˈcryptically adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cryp•tic

(ˈkrɪp tɪk)

also cryp′ti•cal,

adj.

1. mysterious in meaning; puzzling.

2. secret; occult: cryptic writing.

3. involving or using cipher or code.

4. Zool. fitted for concealing; serving to camouflage.

[1595–1605; < Late Latin crypticus < Greek kryptikós hidden]

cryp′ti•cal•ly, adv.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	cryptic - of an obscure nature; "the new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms"; "a deep dark secret"; "the inscrutable workings of Providence"; "in its mysterious past it encompasses all the dim origins of life"- Rachel Carson; "rituals totally mystifying to visitors from other lands" cryptical, inscrutable, mysterious, mystifying, deep incomprehensible, inexplicable - incapable of being explained or accounted for; "inexplicable errors"; "left the house at three in the morning for inexplicable reasons"
	2.	cryptic - having a secret or hidden meaning; "cabalistic symbols engraved in stone"; "cryptic writings"; "thoroughly sibylline in most of his pronouncements"- John Gunther cabalistic, kabbalistic, qabalistic, sibylline, cryptical esoteric - confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle; "a compilation of esoteric philosophical theories"
	3.	cryptic - having a puzzling terseness; "a cryptic note" concise - expressing much in few words; "a concise explanation"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

cryptic

adjective mysterious, dark, coded, puzzling, obscure, vague, veiled, ambiguous, enigmatic, perplexing, arcane, equivocal, abstruse, Delphic, oracular I wondered just what he meant by that cryptic remark.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

cryptic

adjective

Difficult to explain or understand:

arcane, cabalistic, enigmatic, mysterious, mystic, mystical, mystifying, occult, puzzling.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

غامِض، مُبْـهـم

záhadný

kryptiskmystiskuklar

kryptischrätselhaft

énigmatique

dularfullur

segreto

mįslingas

mīklainsnoslēpumains

gåtefullkryptiskmystisk

anlaşılması güçesrarengiz

含义模糊的隐义的

cryptic

[ˈkrɪptɪk] ADJ [message, clue] → críptico; [comment] → enigmático, críptico; (= coded) → en clave

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

cryptic

[ˈkrɪptɪk] adj (= mysterious) [message, reference, remark] → énigmatique cryptic crossword

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

cryptic

adj remark etc → hintergründig, rätselhaft, schleierhaft; clue, riddle etc → verschlüsselt; you’re being very cryptic → du drückst dich sehr rätselhaft or schleierhaft aus

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

cryptic

[ˈkrɪptɪk] adj (mysterious) → oscuro/a; (puzzling) → enigmatico/a
cryptic crossword → cruciverba m a crittogramma

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

cryptic

(ˈkriptik) adjective

intentionally very difficult to understand or make sense of. a cryptic message. geheim, raaiselagtig, duister, kripties غامِض، مُبْـهـم неразгадаем misterioso záhadný rätselhaft kryptisk; uklar; mystisk επίτηδες δυσνόητος oculto, secreto, enigmático krüpteeritud مرموز؛ مبهم arvoituksellinen énigmatique בָּעַל מַשמָעוּת נִסתֶרֶת गुप्त zamršen, šifriran rejtélyes sulit dipahami dularfullur criptico 謎めいた 불가해한 mįslingas noslēpumains; mīklains tersembunyi raadselachtigkryptisk, gåtefull, mystisk zagadkowy مرموز،مبهم misterioso criptic; enigmatic таинственный záhadný skriven šifrovan kryptisk ที่เป็นความลับ esrarengiz, anlaşılması güç 難解的 таємний; загадковий پیچیدہ، غامض bí ẩn 隐义的，含义模糊的

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

cryp·tic

a. críptico-a, escondido-a.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012