code

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
code/kəʊd/

▶noun

• 1 a system of words, figures, or symbols used to represent others, especially for the purposes of secrecy.

  ■ a series of letters or numbers assigned to something to classify or identify it.

  ■ short for dialling code.

• 2 Computing program instructions.

• 3 a systematic collection of laws or statutes: the penal code.

  ■ a set of conventions or principles governing behaviour or activity in a particular sphere.

▶verb

• 1 convert into a code.

  ■ assign a code to for purposes of classification or identification.

• 2 (code for) Genetics be the genetic code for (an amino acid or protein).

  ■ be the genetic determiner of (a characteristic).

• 3 write code for (a computer program).

– derivatives
coder noun,
coding noun & adjective.

– origin ME (orig. denoting a systematic collection of statutes made by one of the later Roman emperors): via OFr. from L. codex, codic- (see codex).