Meaning of code In English

• 0 a system of words, letters, or signs used to represent a message in secret form, or a system of numbers, letters, or signals used to represent something in a shorter or more convenient form:

  • The message was written in code.

  • She managed to decipher/break/crack (= succeed in understanding) the code.

  • Each entry in this dictionary has a grammar code.

• 1 a set of rules that are accepted as general principles, or a set of written rules that say how people in a particular organization or country should behave:

  • Clinics will be subject to a new code of conduct and stronger controls by local authorities.

  • a moral code

  • a code of behaviour/ethics

• 2 a language used to program (= give instructions to) computers:

  • The children are learning to write code.

  • The problem was fixed with about 150 lines of computer code.

• 3 an arrangement of genetic material in DNA (= the chemical that carries genetic information in cells):

  • genetic codes

• 4 a language or dialect (= a form of a language that people speak in a particular part of a country):

  • People often switch codes depending on the conversational context.

  • He was interested in the linguistic codes of people living on the margins of society.

• 5 to represent a message in code so that it can only be understood by the person who is meant to receive it:

  • The original signal is coded by the scrambler before transmission, and reconstituted into its original form by the receiver.

  • My third grade daughter loves learning to code with MIT's amazing (and free) software.

  • I have been learning to code programs.

  • To avoid bias in the laboratory, the samples were coded with numbers rather than names of individuals.

  • Each story in selected bulletins was timed and coded into one of 31 categories for domestic news, while foreign news was separately coded by country.

• 6 a system for representing information with signs or symbols that are not ordinary language, or the signs or symbols themselves:

  • [ U ] Andrew writes computer code.

  • [ C ] Callers punch in four-digit access codes for various topics.

• 7 genetic code

• 8 rules for the way people should behave, or a set of written rules or laws that tell people what to do:

  • Faculty members are expected to follow the school’s honor code.

  • Is there a dress code where you work?

  • Fire codes prohibit locking classroom doors.

• 9 to represent information in a way that is not ordinary language, as with special signs or symbols:

  • Many areas of the brain code and store information.

• 10 a set or system of numbers, letters, or signs which is known only to particular people and represents something that is secret:

  • access/security code You need an access code to get into the building.

  • in code The message was written in code.

• 11 a system of words, letters, or signs which is used to represent something so that it is easy to know which thing or type of thing it is:

  • product/identification code The FDA Product Code describes a product or a group of products.

  • We will give you a unique code to use when you make a booking.

• 12 the letters, numbers, words, and symbols used for writing computer programs:

  • computer/digital code Java computer code

  • write/generate/execute code

• 13 a set of principles, or a set of rules which state how people in a particular organization, job, etc. should behave:

  • abide by/follow a code All our members follow a strict professional code.

  • He has his own moral code for the way he does business.

  • a code of behaviour/conduct

• 14 a set of rules or laws:

  • the state's legal code

  • Their aim is to work out a code to end sweatshops.