Plural of cipher; secret codes, encoded messages, or zero symbols; also persons of no importance.
Plural of cipher from Arabic 'sifr.' The secondary meaning 'nobody' emerged because zero represented nothing—if you're a cipher, you're as significant as zero.
Being called a cipher—meaning worthless—literally says 'you're zero'; it's one of history's harshest metaphors, connecting mathematics to human dignity in a way that explains why ancient cultures feared zero itself!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.