cryp·tic  (kr ĭp t ĭk) also cryp·ti·cal (-t ĭ-k əl)
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adj.1. Having hidden meaning; mystifying. See Synonyms at mysterious. 2. Secret or occult. 3. Using code or cipher. 4. Biology Tending to conceal or camouflage: cryptic coloring.
[Late Latin crypticus, from Greek kruptikos, from kruptos, hidden, from kruptein, to hide.]
crypti·cal·ly adv. cryptic·ness n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
Indo-European Roots
Semitic Roots
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.
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