Pronunciation: ' kan(t)-s ə l
Function: verb
Inflected Form: -celed or -celled ; -cel · ing or -cel · ling \ -s( ə -)li ŋ \
Etymology: Middle English cancellen, from Anglo-French canceller, chanceller, from Late Latin cancellare, from Latin, to make like a lattice, from cancelli (pl.), diminutive of cancer lattice, probably alteration of carcer prison
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1 a : to destroy the force, effectiveness, or validity of : ANNUL < cancel a magazine subscription> <a cancel ed check> b : to bring to nothingness : DESTROY c : to match in force or effect : OFFSET ― often used with out <his irritability cancel ed out his natural kindness ― Osbert Sitwell> d : to call off usually without expectation of conducting or performing at a later time < cancel a football game>
2 a : to mark or strike out for deletion b : OMIT , DELETE
3 a : to remove (a common divisor) from numerator and denominator b : to remove (equivalents) on opposite sides of an equation or account
4 : to deface (a postage or revenue stamp) especially with a set of ink lines so as to invalidate for reuse
intransitive verb : to neutralize each other's strength or effect : COUNTERBALANCE
– can · cel · able or can · cel · la · ble \ -s( ə -)l ə -b ə l \ adjective
– can · cel · er or can · cel · ler \ -s( ə -)l ə r \ noun