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Cuneiform. "Cuneatic decipherment." Sayce.

See Cipher.

Cause of decay. [R.] He that plots to be the only figure among ciphers, is the decay of the whole age. Bacon.

ding to the English notation, a million involved to the tenth power, or a unit with sixty ciphers annexed; according to the French and American notation, a thousand involved to the eleventh power, or a unit with thirty-three ciphers annexed. [See the Note under Numeration.]

The science of diplomas, or the art of deciphering ancient writings, and determining their age, authenticity, etc.; paleography.

The science of inscriptions; the art of engraving inscriptions or of deciphering them.

To inspect; to investigate; to decipher. [R.] To take some pains in excusing some old monuments. F. Junius (1654).

Resembling hieroglyphics; not decipherable. "An hieroglyphical scrawl." Sir W. Scott.

. Authorities are not agreed as to their race. While several attempts have been made to decipher the Hittite characters, little progress has yet been made.

Wholly or completely concealing; incapable of being deciphered. Holocryptic cipher, a cipher so constructed as to afford no clew to its meaning to one ignorant of the key.

of; to expound; to translate orally into intelligible or familiar language or terms; to decipher; to define; -- applied esp. to language, but also to dreams, signs, conduct, mysteries, etc.; as, to interpret the Hebrew language to an Englishman; to interpret an Indian speech. Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God w…

Capable of being read or deciphered; distinct to the eye; plain; - - used of writing or printing; as, a fair, legible manuscript. The stone with moss and lichens so overspread, Nothing is legible but the name alone. Longfellow.

expressed by, letters. The literal notation of numbers was known to Europeans before the ciphers. Johnson.

roof to clear one's self of a charge. -- To make out. (a) To find out; to discover; to decipher; as, to make out the meaning of a letter. (b) To prove; to establish; as, the plaintiff was unable to make out his case. (c) To make complete or exact; as, he was not able to make out the money. -- To make over, to transfe…

A character or cipher composed of two or more letters interwoven or combined so as to represent a name, or a part of it (usually the initials). Monograms are often used on seals, ornamental pins, rings, buttons, and by painters, engravers, etc., to distinguish their works. Monogram.

The arithmetical character 0; a cipher. See Cipher. To set at naught, to treat as of no account; to disregard; to despise; to defy; to treat with ignominy. "Ye have set at naught all my counsel." Prov. i. 25.

cording to the French and American notation, a thousand octillions, or a unit with thirty ciphers annexed; according to the English notation, a million octillions, or a unit with fifty-four ciphers annexed. See the Note under Numeration.

A cipher; naught. Nothing but, only; no more than. Chaucer. -- To make nothing of. (a) To make no difficulty of; to consider as trifling or important. "We are industrious to preserve our bodies from slavery, but we make nothing of suffering our souls to be slaves to our lusts." Ray. (b) Not to understand; as, I could…

That which has no value; a cipher; zero. Bacon. Null method (Physics.), a zero method. See under Zero.

A cipher; zero. [R.] Thou art an O without a figure. Shak.