Codebook

/ˈkoʊdˌbʊk/ noun

Definition

A reference book that explains codes, ciphers, or their meanings; used in cryptography, telecommunications, or programming to decode messages or understand programming languages.

Etymology

From 'code' (Latin codex) plus 'book' (from Old English boc), creating a compound modern term for a reference volume.

Kelly Says

During World War II, possessing a codebook was literally as dangerous as carrying a bomb—spies died for pages of secret codes, and the famous Enigma machine's codebooks were stolen and recovered like treasure throughout the war.

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