Aside from the Merriam-Webster definitions as being an abbreviation of 'mountain' or 'Montana' another meaning of this word is that of making something simple more difficult. When used with the term 'code', for instance, it is the process of encoding information from a readable source into symbols or from one set of symbols into another set of symbols using a key or keys for private secluded, or hidden storage, or encrypting. Decoding is the reverse process, converting code symbols, again using the key or keys, back into a form that is again readable, such as from one language (English) to another (Spanish), or from Pitman shorthand to Gregg shorthand or to a personally designed shorthand. The word is not commonly used.
by doc19 October 23, 2020