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cryptic

Pronunciation: /ˈkrɪptɪk/

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Definition of cryptic

adjective

  • 1having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure:he found his boss’s utterances too cryptic
  • (of a crossword) having difficult clues which indicate the solutions indirectly.
  • 2 Zoology (of coloration or markings) serving to camouflage an animal in its natural environment: cryptic plumage is thought to minimize predation

Derivatives

cryptically

adverb

Origin:

early 17th century: from late Latin crypticus, from Greek kruptikos, from kruptos 'hidden'. cryptic (sense 2) dates from the late 19th century

cryptic in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of cryptic in the US English dictionary

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