efface

See also effacé

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪs

Verb

efface (third-person singular simple present effaces, present participle effacing, simple past and past participle effaced)

1. (transitive) To erase (as anything impressed or inscribed upon a surface); to render illegible or indiscernible.

   Do not efface what I've written on the chalkboard.

2. (transitive) To cause to disappear as if by rubbing out or striking out.

   Some people like to efface their own memories with alcohol.

3. (reflexive) To make oneself inobtrusive as if due to modesty or diffidence.

   Many people seem shy, but they really just efface for meekness.

4. (medicine) Of the cervix during pregnancy, to thin and stretch in preparation for labor.

   Some females efface 75% by the 39th week of pregnancy.

Translations

to erase

• Bulgarian: заличавам (bg) (zaličavam), премахвам (bg) (premahvam)
• Japanese: 消去する (shōkyo suru)

• Spanish: borrar (es)
• Tagalog: bura (tl)

cause to disappear as if by rubbing out

• Bulgarian: изтривам (bg) (iztrivam), зачерквам (bg) (začerkvam)

• Japanese: 拭い去る (nuguisaru)

make oneself inobtrusive

• Dutch: zich wegcijferen (nl)

Derived terms

effaceable effacement

effacer self-effacing

See also

• deface

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French

Noun

efface f (plural effaces)

1. (Quebec) eraser

Verb

efface

1. first-person singular present indicative of effacer
2. third-person singular present indicative of effacer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of effacer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of effacer
5. second-person singular imperative of effacer