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| Date: | 1500-1600 |
| Language: | French |
| Origin: | Latin codex; CODEX |
1 a set of rules, laws, or principles that tell people how to behave : 
Each state in the US has a different criminal and civil code.
laws/behaviour
[countable]
Each state in the US has a different criminal and civil code. code of practice (=a set of rules that people in a particular business or profession agree to obey) The Textile Services Association has drawn up a code of practice endorsed by the Office of Fair Trading.
➔ Highway Code, penal codeThe Textile Services Association has drawn up a code of practice endorsed by the Office of Fair Trading.2 a system of words, letters, or symbols that you use instead of ordinary writing, so that the information can only be understood by someone else who knows the system
secret message
[uncountable and countable] break/crack a code (=manage to understand a code) They didn't realise that we'd broken their secret code.
They didn't realise that we'd broken their secret code.3 a set of numbers, letters, or symbols that shows what something is or gives information about it : Goods that you order must have a product code.
symbols giving information
[countable]Goods that you order must have a product code.4 the group of numbers that comes before a telephone number when you are calling from a different area [= area code American English] What's the code for Aberdeen?
telephones
also dialling code, STD code British EnglishTCT [countable]What's the code for Aberdeen?5TD a set of instructions that tell a computer what to do ➔ machine code, source code
computers
TD [uncountable and countable]6 a system of sounds or signals that represent words or letters when they are sent by machine
