I. ˈkan(t)səl, -ˈaa-, -ˈai- verb
( canceled or cancelled ; canceled or cancelled ; canceling or cancelling -s(ə)liŋ ; cancels )
Etymology: Middle English cancellen, from Middle French canceller, from Late Latin cancellare, from Latin, to make like a lattice, from cancelli lattice, diminutive of cancer lattice, alteration of carcer prison
transitive verb
1.
a. : to mark or strike out for omission or deletion typically with lines crossed latticewise over the passage in question or by a line through the symbols involved
cancel an offensive passage
a section canceled as unimportant
b.
(1) : omit
cancel matter set in type and not yet printed
cancel sheets printed but not yet bound
(2) : to remove (a leaf) from a book
(3) : to remove (a blank leaf) from a printed sheet before binding
2. : to remove from significance or effectiveness: as
a. : to destroy the force, effectiveness, or validity of : revoke , annul , invalidate
cancel an order
canceling a magazine subscription
b. : to bring to nothingness : destroy , ruin
canceling more material and labor with the same weight of explosives — Harland Manchester
c. : to remove from need for consideration : reduce or vitiate to the point of insignificance
was slavery so deep an evil that it canceled all other political rights and interests — Herbert Agar
d. : to match or nullify in force or effect : counterbalance , neutralize , offset — often used with out
his irritability canceled out his natural kindness — Osbert Sitwell
e. : to cease from planning or expecting : call off usually without expectation of conducting or performing at a later time : drop , relinquish
cancel a trip
a football game canceled because of heavy snow
3.
a. : to remove (a common divisor) especially from numerator and denominator
b. : to remove (equivalents) on opposite sides of an equation or account
c. : balance
cancel an equivalent of opposite sign
— often used with out
4. : to counteract the effect of (a previous sharp or flat) by inserting in musical notation a natural sign
5.
a. : to deface (a postage or revenue stamp) especially with a set of parallel lines, a postmark, or a series of cuts or slits to invalidate for reuse
b. : to deface the stamps on (a piece of mail)
intransitive verb
1. : to neutralize each other's strength or effect : become counterbalanced or offset — often used with out
the various pressure groups to a large degree canceled out — J.B.Conant
2. : to admit of being dropped together as equal or equivalent
the two x's on each side of the equation cancel
Synonyms: see erase
•
- cancel to order
II. noun
( -s )
1. : cancellation : the act of annulling or rescinding
an order quickly followed by a cancel
2.
a. : a written part or passage suppressed or deleted
b. : a passage or page from which something has been suppressed and to which new matter has been added in its place : the leaf containing matter so replaced — called also cancelland
c. : a new leaf, sheet, or pasted-in slip substituted for or emending matter already printed as part of a book — called also cancellans
d. : blank pages removed from a printed sheet before binding
3. : a canceling direction in music : natural
4. : a postal cancellation
5. : a punch for canceling tickets — usually used in plural and often with pair
a pair of cancels