Main Entry: oblit·er·ate

Pronunciation: \ə-ˈbli-tə-ˌrāt, ō-\

Function: transitive verb

Inflected Form(s): oblit·er·at·ed; oblit·er·at·ing

Etymology: Latin oblitteratus, past participle of oblitterare, from ob- ob- + littera letter

Date: 1600

1 a : to remove utterly from recognition or memory b : to remove from existence : destroy utterly all trace, indication, or significance of c : to cause to disappear (as a bodily part or a scar) or collapse (as a duct conveying body fluid) : remove 4 <a blood vessel obliterated by inflammation>
2 : to make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or wearing away
3 : cancel 4

— oblit·er·a·tion \-ˌbli-tə-ˈrā-shən\ noun

— oblit·er·a·tor \-ˈbli-tə-ˌrā-tər\ noun