erase

erase

verb \i-ˈrās, British -ˈrāz\

erasederas·ing

Definition of ERASE

transitive verb

1

a : to rub or scrape out (as written, painted, or engraved letters) <erase an error>

b : to remove written or drawn marks from <erase a blackboard>

c : to remove (recorded matter) from a magnetic medium; also : to remove recorded matter from <erase a videotape>

d : to delete from a computer storage device <erase a file>

2

a : to remove from existence or memory as if by erasing

b : to nullify the effect or force of

intransitive verb

: to yield to erasure

— eras·abil·i·ty \-ˌrā-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— eras·able \-ˈrā-sə-bəl\ adjective

Examples of ERASE

1. The recording can be erased and the tape used again.
2. Several important files were accidentally erased.
3. You can erase the tape and use it again.
4. She erased the wrong answer from her paper and filled in the correct one.
5. I erased the chalk marks from the blackboard.

Origin of ERASE

Latin erasus, past participle of eradere, from e- + radere to scratch, scrape — more at rodent

First Known Use: 1605

Related to ERASE

Synonyms

abolish, black out, blot out, cancel, clean (up), efface, eradicate, annihilate, expunge, exterminate, extirpate, liquidate, obliterate, root (out), rub out, snuff (out), stamp (out), sweep (away), wipe out

Related Words

decimate, demolish, destroy, devastate, ravage; dismantle, flatten, mow (down), raze, tear down; ruin, total, waste, wreck; blast, blow up, dash, dynamite, smash; atomize, consume, devour, dissolve, fragment, powder, pulverize, shatter, splinter; doom, finish, kill, kill off, terminate, zap; cancel, cut, discard, ditch, eject, excise, expel, jettison, oust, throw out

Near Antonyms

conserve, preserve, protect, save; build, construct, create, fabricate, fashion, forge, form, frame, make, manufacture, shape; fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renew, renovate, repair, restore, revamp

Rhymes with ERASE

abase, airspace, Alsace, ambsace, apace, backspace, best-case, biface, birthplace, blackface, boldface, bookcase, bootlace, braincase, briefcase, clubface, crankcase, cyclase, debase, deface, disgrace, displace, dogface, doughface, efface, embrace, emplace, encase, enchase, enlace, euclase, firebase, fireplace, footpace, footrace, foreface, freebase, gyrase, half-space, hard case, headspace, hydrase, Jerez, kinase, lactase, lightface, lipase, lyase, maltase, manes, millrace, milreis, misplace, mutase, notecase, null-space, nutcase, outface, outpace, outrace, paleface, postface, Quilmes, replace, scapegrace, shoelace, showcase, showplace, slipcase, smearcase, someplace, staircase, subbase, subspace, suitcase, tailrace, tenace, typeface, ukase, unbrace, unlace, watchcase, wheelbase, whey-face, whiteface, workplace, worst-case