{ } a. [ L. crypticus, Gr. kryptiko`s, fr. kry`ptein to hide. ] Hidden; secret; occult. “Her [ nature's ] more cryptic ways of working.” Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. incomprehensible to those not familiar with the culture or jargon; as, the new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms.
Syn. -- inscrutable, mysterious, mystifying. [ WordNet 1.5 ] 3. having a secret or hidden meaning; as, cryptic symbols engraved in stone; cryptic writings.
Syn. -- cabalistic, occult, secret, sibylline. [ WordNet 1.5 ] 3. having a puzzling terseness; as, a cryptic note. [ WordNet 1.5 ] 4. not evident; unrecognized; as, a cryptic infection. [ PJC ] 5. written in a code or cipher; as, a cryptic message.
Syn. -- encoded, enciphered, encrypted. [ PJC ] Variants: Cryptic | 