erase
remove, as by rubbing or wiping out
Not to be confused with:
delete – to strike out or cancel, as from a text
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
e·rase
(ĭ-rās′)tr.v. e·rased, e·ras·ing, e·ras·es
1.
a. To remove (something written, for example) by rubbing, wiping, or scraping.
b. To remove (recorded material) from a magnetic tape or other storage medium: erased a file from the hard drive.
c. To remove recorded material from (a magnetic tape or disk, for example): erased the DVD.
2. To remove all traces of; eliminate or obliterate: had to erase all thoughts of failure from his mind.
[Latin ērādere, ērās-, to scratch out : ē-, ex-, ex- + rādere, to scrape; see rēd- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: erase, expunge, delete, cancel
These verbs mean to remove or invalidate something, especially something stored, recorded, or written down. To erase is to wipe or rub out, literally or figuratively: erased the word from the blackboard; erased any hope of success.
Expunge implies thorough removal: a performance that expunged doubts about his ability.
To delete is to remove matter from a manuscript or data from a computer application: deleted expletives from the transcript; deleted the file with one keystroke.
Cancel refers to invalidating by or as if by drawing lines through something written: canceled the postage stamp; canceled the reservation.
These verbs mean to remove or invalidate something, especially something stored, recorded, or written down. To erase is to wipe or rub out, literally or figuratively: erased the word from the blackboard; erased any hope of success.
Expunge implies thorough removal: a performance that expunged doubts about his ability.
To delete is to remove matter from a manuscript or data from a computer application: deleted expletives from the transcript; deleted the file with one keystroke.
Cancel refers to invalidating by or as if by drawing lines through something written: canceled the postage stamp; canceled the reservation.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
erase
(ɪˈreɪz)vb
1. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) to obliterate or rub out (something written, typed, etc)
2. (tr) to destroy all traces of; remove completely: time erases grief.
3. (General Physics) to remove (a recording) from (magnetic tape)
4. (Computer Science) (tr) computing to replace (data) on a storage device with characters representing an absence of data
[C17: from Latin ērādere to scrape off, from ex-1 + rādere to scratch, scrape]
eˈrasable adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
e•rase
(ɪˈreɪs)v. e•rased, e•ras•ing. v.t.
1. to rub or scrape out, as letters or characters written, engraved, etc.; efface.
2. to eliminate completely: She couldn't erase the scene from her memory.
3. to obliterate (recorded material) from (a recording medium): She erased the message on the answering machine. I accidentally erased the tape.
4. to remove (data) from computer storage: He erased the data from the hard drive.
5. Slang. to murder.
v.i. 6. to give way to effacement readily or easily.
7. to obliterate characters, markings, etc., from something.
e•ras′a•ble, adj.
e•ras`a•bil′i•ty, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
erase
- From Latin e-, "out," and radere, "scrape."See also related terms for scrape.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
erase
Past participle: erased
Gerund: erasing
| Imperative |
|---|
| erase |
| erase |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Verb | 1. | erase - remove from memory or existence; "The Turks erased the Armenians in 1915" kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays" |
| 2. |  erase - remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing; "Please erase the formula on the blackboard--it is wrong!"sponge - erase with a sponge; as of words on a blackboard scratch out, cut out - strike or cancel by or as if by rubbing or crossing out; "scratch out my name on that list" | |
| 3. | erase - wipe out digitally or magnetically recorded information; "Who erased the files form my hard disk?" recording, transcription - the act of making a record (especially an audio record); "she watched the recording from a sound-proof booth" demagnetise, demagnetize - erase (a magnetic storage device) |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
erase
verb
1. delete, cancel out, wipe out, remove, eradicate, excise, obliterate, efface, blot out, expunge They are desperate to erase the memory of their defeat.
2. rub out, remove, wipe out, delete, scratch out She erased the words from the blackboard.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
erase
verb1. To remove or invalidate by or as if by running a line through or wiping clean:
annul, blot (out), cancel, cross (off or out), delete, efface, expunge, obliterate, rub (out), scratch (out), strike (out), undo, wipe (out), x (out).
Law: vacate.
2. To destroy all traces of:
abolish, annihilate, blot out, clear, eradicate, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, kill, liquidate, obliterate, remove, root (out or up), rub out, snuff out, stamp out, uproot, wipe out.
Idioms: do away with, make an end of, put an end to.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يـَمْحُويَمْحو، يَشْطُب
smazatvymazat
sletteudviskeviske ud
pyyhkiä pois
brisati
stroka út
消す
지우다
trintukas
izdzēst
zbrisati
radera
ลบออก
tẩy xóa
erase
[ɪˈreɪz]Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
erase
[ɪˈreɪz] vtCollins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
erase
vt → ausradieren; (from tape, Comput) → löschen; (from the mind) → streichen (from aus); (sl: = kill) → erledigen (sl)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
erase
(iˈreiz) , ((American) iˈreis) verb to rub out (pencil marks etc). The typist tried to erase the error.
eˈraser noun (especially American) something that erases, especially a piece of india-rubber etc for erasing pencil etc.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
erase
→ يـَمْحُو vymazat udviske ausradieren σβήνω borrar pyyhkiä pois gommer brisati cancellare 消す 지우다 wissen viske ut wymazać apagar стирать radera ลบออก silmek tẩy xóa 抹去Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
erase
vt. borrar; raspar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012