code

views updated May 29 2018

code systematic collection of laws XIV; system of signals, esp. for secrecy XIX. — (O)F. — L. cōdex, cōdic- block of wood, block split into leaves or tablets, book. The L. word codex was formerly (XVI–XVIII) in Eng. use in the sense ‘law-code’, but is now used only for ‘manuscript volume’.