Nebulous vs Cryptic - What's the difference?
nebulous | cryptic |
In the form of a cloud or haze; hazy.
Vague or ill-defined.
* 1915 , Arthur Conan Doyle, The Valley of Fear
Relating to a nebula or nebulae.
Having hidden meaning.
Mystified or of an obscure nature.
* Glanvill
Involving use of code or cipher/cypher.
(zoology) Well camouflaged; having good camouflage.
(informal) A cryptic crossword.
* 1996 , Mary McCarthy, Remember Me (page 85)
* 2009 , Bill Taylor, Building a crossword'' (in ''Toronto Star , 1 February 2009)
As adjectives the difference between nebulous and cryptic
is that nebulous is in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy while cryptic is having hidden meaning.As a noun cryptic is
(informal) a cryptic crossword.nebulous
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- The magistrate could not possibly, on the evidence, have held them for a higher court. On the one hand the compositors and pressmen were forced to admit that the light was uncertain, that they were themselves much perturbed, and that it was difficult for them to swear to the identity of the assailants; although they believed that the accused were among them. Cross examined by the clever attorney who had been engaged by McGinty, they were even more nebulous in their evidence.
Anagrams
*cryptic
English
(wikipedia cryptic)Alternative forms
* cryptick (obsolete)Adjective
(en adjective)- Her [nature's] more cryptic ways of working.
- Lonomia caterpillars are extremely cryptic .
Noun
(en noun)- He settled down to the cryptic in the Independent . He loved his crossword. It kept him mentally active, just as gossip did his wife.
- This writer has been solving cryptics for 40 years and can usually crack Araucaria, though it might take a couple of days.