# Scribed Glossary – Cryptographic Term Lookup

> Scribed Glossary – Cryptographic Term Lookup is a paid API for AI agents from pennypress.org, paid per call via x402, $0.01/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-14).

Returns a machine-readable glossary definition for the term 'cryptographic' from Scribed's paid essay repository, gated by a $0.01 USDC micropayment.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://pennypress.org/glossary/cryptographic?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.01/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-14
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/scribed-glossary-cryptographic-term-lookup-9dd039f3
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_FpMFStPVeNwZi3QDoITln

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability scribed-glossary-cryptographic-term-lookup-9dd039f3
```

Example prompt: Can you look up the definition of 'cryptographic' from Scribed's glossary on pennypress.org? It costs a penny per call — go ahead and pay it.

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when you need a curated, essay-quality definition of 'cryptographic' from Scribed's editorial glossary, specifically in contexts where machine-readable, paid-access content is acceptable. Prefer this over free dictionary APIs when editorial voice, philosophical framing, or the specific Scribed/pennypress perspective on cryptographic concepts is needed. It is appropriate for AI agents authorized to spend small USDC micropayments on content retrieval.

## Known failure modes

- Payment not processed: 402 Payment Required returned if USDC micropayment is not submitted
- Term not found: glossary entry may not exist for all requested terms
- Network timeout: pennypress.org may be slow or unavailable
- Malformed response: gloss field may be empty or placeholder if content not yet published
- Invalid properties parameter: bad input schema may yield empty or error response

## How this service works

A repository of essays on freedom, truth, and the structures around us, in machine-readable form. Free for humans. Pennies for machines.

## Output

A JSON object containing the term ('cryptographic'), its glossary definition (gloss), and the publication name ('Scribed'). The definition is delivered only after the $0.01 USDC micropayment is processed.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "properties": {
   "type": "string"
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "term": "cryptographic",
  "gloss": "(delivered after payment)",
  "publication": "Scribed"
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/scribed-glossary-cryptographic-term-lookup-9dd039f3/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from pennypress.org](https://www.zero.xyz/host/pennypress.org/llms.txt)