cancel

One entry found for cancel.

Main Entry: ¹can·cel
Pronunciation: 'kan(t)-s&l
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -celed or -celled; -cel·ing or can·cel·ling /-s(&-)li[ng]/
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
transitive verb
1 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, DELETE
3 a : to remove (a common divisor) from numerator and denominator b : to remove (equivalents) on opposite sides of an equation or account
4 : to deface (a postage or revenue stamp) especially with a set of ink lines so as to invalidate for reuse
intransitive verb : to neutralize each other's strength or effect : COUNTERBALANCE
- can·cel·able or can·cel·la·ble /-s(&-)l&-b&l/ adjective
- can·cel·er or can·cel·ler /-s(&-)l&r/ noun