A secret code or system used to hide the meaning of a message, or a person of no importance.
From Arabic 'ṣifr' meaning 'empty' or 'nothing,' which also gave us the word 'zero.' Entered English through Italian and French in the 15th century when European merchants adopted Arabic numerals and their terminology.
The word 'cipher' literally meant 'zero' to the Arabs, but became the name for secret codes because codes are full of meaningless symbols until you know the key—like zeros that become valuable only in context!
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