Main Entry:

¹can·cel

Pronunciation:

\ˈkan(t)-səl\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

can·celed or can·celled; can·cel·ing or can·cel·ling \-s(ə-)liŋ\

Etymology:

Middle English cancellen, from Anglo-French canceller, chanceller, from Late Latin cancellare, from Latin, to make like a lattice, from cancelli (plural), diminutive of cancer lattice, probably alteration of carcer prison

Date:

14th century

transitive verb1 a: to destroy the force, effectiveness, or validity of : annul <cancel a magazine subscription> <a canceled check> b: to bring to nothingness : destroy c: to match in force or effect : offset —often used with out<his irritability canceled out his natural kindness — Osbert Sitwell> d: to call off usually without expectation of conducting or performing at a later time <cancel a football game>2 a: to mark or strike out for deletion b: omit, delete3 a: to remove (a common divisor) from numerator and denominator b: to remove (equivalents) on opposite sides of an equation or account4: to deface (a postage or revenue stamp) especially with a set of ink lines so as to invalidate for reuseintransitive verb: to neutralize each other's strength or effect : counterbalance

— can·cel·able or can·cel·la·ble \-s(ə-)lə-bəl\ adjective

— can·cel·er or can·cel·ler \-s(ə-)lər\ noun