cancel

cancel [kan′səl]

vt.

canceled or cancelled, canceling or cancelling [ME cancellen < Anglo-Fr canceler < LL cancellare, to strike out, cancel < L, to make resemble a lattice < cancelli, pl. of cancellus, lattice, grating, dim. of cancer, crossed bars, lattice, dissimilated < carcer, prison]

1.

a) to cross out with lines or other marks, as in deleting written matter or marking a check as used and cleared

b) to print or stamp marks on (a postage stamp) as by machine or handstamp, to prevent reuse

2. to make invalid; annul

3. to do away with; wipe out; abolish, withdraw, etc. [to cancel an order or a ticket reservation]

4. to neutralize or balance in force or influence; offset: often with out

5. Math. to remove (a common factor from both terms of a fraction, equivalents of opposite sign or on opposite sides of an equation, etc.)

6. Printing to delete or omit

vi.

to offset or cancel each other: with out

n.

1. the deletion or omission of matter in type or in print

2.

a) the matter omitted or deleted

b) the replacement for this

3. Informal CANCELLATION (sense 3)

cancelable

adj.

canceler

n.

canceller