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Cryptic vs Koanlike - What's the difference?

cryptic | koanlike |

As adjectives the difference between cryptic and koanlike

is that cryptic is having hidden meaning while koanlike is resembling a koan or some aspect of one: cryptic, concise, thought-provoking, etc.

As a noun cryptic

is (informal) a cryptic crossword.

cryptic

English

(wikipedia cryptic)

Alternative forms

* cryptick (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Having hidden meaning.
  • Mystified or of an obscure nature.
  • * Glanvill
    • Her [nature's] more cryptic ways of working.
  • Involving use of code or cipher/cypher.
  • (zoology) Well camouflaged; having good camouflage.
    • Lonomia caterpillars are extremely cryptic .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (informal) A cryptic crossword.
  • * 1996 , Mary McCarthy, Remember Me (page 85)
    • He settled down to the cryptic in the Independent . He loved his crossword. It kept him mentally active, just as gossip did his wife.
  • * 2009 , Bill Taylor, Building a crossword'' (in ''Toronto Star , 1 February 2009)
    • This writer has been solving cryptics for 40 years and can usually crack Araucaria, though it might take a couple of days.

    Derived terms

    * cryptically * cryptogram

    koanlike

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Resembling a koan or some aspect of one: cryptic, concise, thought-provoking, etc.
  • *{{quote-news, year=2007, date=January 23, author=Dinitia Smith, title=A Career in Letters, 50 Years and Counting, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=There is a koanlike suggestiveness to it all. }}