chiffre
figure
noun SHEEFR Less Common
Origin: Arabic sifr, 'zero'
Also means
digit
Usage Note
Chiffre means a numeral or digit (e.g. le chiffre 7) and, in business, a turnover figure (chiffre d'affaires = 'revenue/turnover'). It is more specific than nombre ('number' in the abstract). Chiffrer means 'to put a figure on' or 'to encrypt'; chiffrement is the modern word for data encryption.
Examples
"Le chiffre d'affaires a doublé."
Natural Translation
The turnover doubled.
Literal Translation
The figure of business doubled.
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