encipher •\in-ˈsi-fər, en-\• verb : convert ordinary language into code The word encipher has appeared in 28 New York Times articles since 1851. While we usually only search "in the past year" for our Word of the Day, this particular word was not used in the last 12 months, so we dug further into The Times's archives. One example of where "encipher" was used was on Dec. 7, 2010, in "Monumentally Mystifying: Power of Secrets Inspires Public Art" by John Schwartz: At the Christian Louboutin store in West Hollywood, the elegant interior by the architectural designer Eric Clough is crowded with secrets - walls are covered with thousands of ceramic tiles that display alphabet letters from 28 languages and hundreds of symbols designed by Mr. Clough's 14-year-old nephew. The arrangement contains messages in plain text and code, and all but invites visitors to encipher some of their own. Tiles in a Louboutin store in Miami include poems and riddles, hiding in plain sight amid the jumble of text and symbol. ... And why not? Humans love mystery and puzzles, and not just the ones that fit on a tabletop. Public, monumental puzzles go as far back as the ancient labyrinths and are as contemporary as Jim Sanborn's "Kryptos" sculpture at C.I.A. headquarters that has resisted the efforts of code breakers since it was unveiled 20 years ago. Learn more about the word "encipher" and see usage examples across a range of subjects on the Vocabulary dictionary.