cryptography

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Usage notes 1.3.2 Derived terms 1.3.3 Related terms 1.3.4 Translations 1.3.5 See also

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Etymology

< Greek κρυπτός (kryptos), “‘hidden’”) + γράφειν (gráphein), “‘to write’”)

[edit] Pronunciation

• /krĭptŏgʹrəfē/
• [kɹ̥ɪpˈtʰɒgɹəfiː]

  Rhymes: -ɒgrəfiː

[edit] Noun

cryptography (uncountable)

1. The discipline concerned with communication security (eg, confidentiality of messages, integrity of messages, sender authentication, non-repudiation of messages, and many other related issues), regardless of the used medium such as pencil and paper or computers.
   • 1658:, Sir Thomas Browne (first use in English),

     We might abate...the strange cryptography of Gaffarell in his Starrie Booke of Heaven.

[edit] Usage notes

• Subfields include encoding, decoding, cryptanalysis, codes, ciphers, etc.
• In many languages, though less so in English, cognates to "cryptology" are also used with the meaning given above, and even preferred.
• Related to cryptography but distinct, steganography is the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no-one apart from the sender and intended recipient even realizes there is a hidden message.

[edit] Derived terms

• public-key cryptography
• assymetric cryptography

[edit] Related terms

• crypt
• cryptology
• cryptanalysis

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

• Appendix:Glossary of cryptography