# cryptic

/ˈkɹɪptɪk/ (US) · /kɹˈɪptɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cryptic
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. crossword puzzles

adjective · CEFR C2 · British English

a type of puzzle where the clues use wordplay and hidden meanings instead of simple definitions.

For teachers: relating to a crossword puzzle in which each clue contains a cryptic description or wordplay alongside a definition.

- I spent all morning trying to solve just one clue in the cryptic crossword.
- Experienced solvers often prefer cryptic puzzles because they require lateral thinking rather than simple synonym recall.

Usage: Usually precedes the noun 'crossword'.

### 3. camouflaged in nature

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

having colors or patterns that help an animal hide in its environment.

For teachers: serving to conceal or camouflage an organism within its natural environment.

- The moth's cryptic coloring makes it look exactly like the tree bark.
- Many ground-nesting birds rely on cryptic plumage to avoid detection by aerial predators during the breeding season.

### 4. genetically distinct species

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

describing two groups of animals that look the same but are actually different species.

For teachers: referring to species that are morphologically identical but genetically distinct and unable to interbreed.

- Scientists discovered that the frogs were actually two different cryptic species.
- DNA sequencing has revealed numerous cryptic species that were previously classified as a single taxon based on physical appearance.

### 5. a puzzle

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · British English

a short way to say 'cryptic crossword'.

For teachers: an informal clipping for a cryptic crossword puzzle.

- Do you have the Saturday paper? I want to try the cryptic.
- He makes a habit of completing the daily cryptic before starting his actual work.

## Examples

- He left a cryptic message on my desk.
- The detective spent hours trying to decode the cryptic symbols found at the back of the old diary.
- While the poem's surface meaning seems simple, its cryptic metaphors suggest a much darker historical subtext that only scholars of the period would likely recognize.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.