Found cipher kit in a note (9)
I believe the answer is:
originate
'found' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'cipher kit in a note' is the wordplay.
'cipher' becomes 'o' (old-fashioned term for zero).
'kit' becomes 'rig' (I've seen this before).
'note' becomes 'te' (**).
'o'+'rig'+'in'+'a'+'te'='ORIGINATE'
(Other definitions for originate that I've seen before include "Arise, start" , "In spring" , "pioneer" , "Set up" , "Found" .)