I. re ‧ move 1 S2 W1 AC /rɪˈmuːv/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ move , ↑ movement , ↑ removal , ↑ remover , ↑ mover ; adjective : ↑ movable , ↑ unmoved , ↑ moving ; verb : ↑ move , ↑ remove ; adverb : ↑ movingly ]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ removal , ↑ remover ; verb : ↑ remove ; adjective : ↑ removable ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: removoir , from Latin removere , from movere 'to move' ]
1 . TAKE AWAY to take something away from, out of, or off the place where it is:
Remove the old wallpaper and fill any holes in the walls.
remove something from something
Reference books may not be removed from the library.
2 . GET RID OF to get rid of something so that it does not exist any longer:
a cleaner that will remove wine stains
The college removed rules that prevented women from enrolling.
3 . FROM A JOB to force someone out of an important position or dismiss them from a job
remove somebody from something
Congress could remove the President from office.
4 . CLOTHES formal to take off a piece of clothing:
He removed his hat and gloves.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say that someone takes clothing off rather than removes it:
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Is it OK if I take my coat off?
5 . be far removed from something to be very different from something:
The events in the newspaper article were far removed from reality.
6 . cousin once/twice etc removed the child, ↑ grandchild etc of your ↑ cousin , or your cousin’s father, grandfather etc
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THESAURUS (for Meaning 2)
▪ remove to make something no longer exist, especially something that was causing problems:
Some stains are difficult to remove with ordinary washing powder.
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All the obstacles to an agreement have now been removed.
▪ get rid of somebody/something to remove someone or something that you do not want. Get rid of is much more common than remove in everyday English, but is usually only used in active sentences:
They managed to get rid of all the weeds.
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It was almost impossible to get rid of him.
▪ eliminate to completely get rid of something that you do not want, especially because it is unnecessary or causing problems:
If you book online, this eliminates the need for a ticket.
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The new system will help to eliminate costly delays.
▪ eradicate to completely get rid of a disease or a problem:
The disease has been eradicated from most of Europe.
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Street crime has almost been eradicated.
▪ delete to remove something that has been written on a computer, or stored in a computer:
Do you want to delete this file?
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Press 3 to delete the messages on your answerphone.
▪ erase to remove recorded sounds or pictures from a tape, or writing from paper:
Shall I erase this video?
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It’s better to cross out a mistake than to try to erase it.
▪ cut to remove a part from a film, book, speech etc:
The most violent scenes were cut.
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Parts of his original speech were cut.
II. remove 2 AC BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable] especially British English formal
a distance or amount by which two things are separated
at a remove
The X-ray operator works at a safe remove in a separate room.