Webster's English Dictionary

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cancel

Cross references:
  1. erase                 
 
1. can.cel or can.cel.ler \'kan(t)-s*l\ \-s(*-)lin\ \-s(*-)l*r\ 
   \.kan(t)-s*-'la--sh*n\ vb or can.celed or can.celled;  or can.cel.ing;  or 
   can.cel.ling [ME cancellen, fr. MF canceller, fr. LL cancellare, fr. L, to] 
   make like a lattice, fr. cancelli (pl.), dim. of cancer lattice, alter. of 
   carcer prison 1a: to mark or strike out for deletion  1b: OMIT, DELETE  2a: 
   to destroy the force, effectiveness, or validity of : ANNUL  2b: to bring 
   to nothingness : DESTROY  2c: to match in force or effect : OFFSET  3a: to 
   remove (a common divisor) from numerator and denominator  3b: to remove 
   (equivalents) on opposite sides of an equation or account  4: to deface (a 
   postage or revenue stamp) esp. with a set of parallel line s so as to 
   invalidate for reuse : to neutralize each other's strength or effect : 
   COUNTERBALANCE  - can.cel.er n
2. cancel n 1: CANCELLATION  2a: a deleted part or passage  2b: a passage 
   or page from which something has been deleted  2c1: a leaf containing 
   deleted matter  2c2: a new leaf or slip substituted for matter already 
   printed