efface
(redirected from effaces)Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical.
ef·face
(ĭ-fās′)v. ef·faced, ef·fac·ing, ef·fac·es
v.tr.
1. To rub or wipe out; erase: The serial number had been effaced from the stolen product.
2. To remove or make indistinct: "Five years' absence had done nothing to efface the people's memory of his firmness" (Alan Moorehead).
3. To conduct (oneself) inconspicuously: "When the two women went out together, Anna deliberately effaced herself and played to the dramatic Molly" (Doris Lessing).
4. Medicine To cause to become shorter, softer, and thinner during labor: The cervix was effaced as the contractions continued.
v.intr.
Medicine To become shorter, softer, and thinner during labor. Used of the cervix.
[Middle English effacen, from French effacer, from Old French esfacier : es-, out (from Latin ex-, ex-) + face, face; see face.]
ef·face′a·ble adj.
ef·face′ment n.
ef·fac′er n.
ef·fa·cé
(ĕf′ə-sā′)n.
A position in ballet in which the dancer stands at an angle to the audience so that part of the body is hidden from view.
[French, from past participle of effacer, to efface; see efface.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
efface
(ɪˈfeɪs)vb (tr)
1. to obliterate or make dim: to efface a memory.
2. to make (oneself) inconspicuous or humble through modesty, cowardice, or obsequiousness
3. to rub out (a line, drawing, etc); erase
[C15: from French effacer, literally: to obliterate the face; see face]
efˈfaceable adj
efˈfacement n
efˈfacer n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ef•face
(ɪˈfeɪs)v.t. -faced, -fac•ing.
1. to wipe out; do away with; expunge: to efface sad memories.
2. to rub out, erase, or obliterate (outlines, traces, inscriptions, etc.).
3. to make (oneself) inconspicuous; withdraw (oneself) modestly or shyly.
ef•face′a•ble, adj.
ef•face′ment, n.
ef•fac′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
efface
Past participle: effaced
Gerund: effacing
| Imperative |
|---|
| efface |
| efface |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | efface - remove completely from recognition or memory; "efface the memory of the time in the camps" blot out, obliterate, veil, hide, obscure - make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing; "a hidden message"; "a veiled threat" |
| 2. | efface - make inconspicuous; "efface oneself" humble - cause to be unpretentious; "This experience will humble him" | |
| 3. |  efface - remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing; "Please erase the formula on the blackboard--it is wrong!"sponge - erase with a sponge; as of words on a blackboard scratch out, cut out - strike or cancel by or as if by rubbing or crossing out; "scratch out my name on that list" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
efface
verb obliterate, remove, destroy, cancel, wipe out, erase, eradicate, excise, delete, annihilate, raze, blot out, cross out, expunge, rub out, extirpate an attempt to efface the memory of their previous failures
efface yourself make yourself inconspicuous, withdraw, be retiring, keep a low profile, be timid, be diffident, be bashful, keep out of the limelight, be modest, keep out of the public eye, be unassertive He always wants to efface himself, and hates any kind of ostentation.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
efface
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَتَجَنَّب لَفْت الإنْتِباهيَمْحو، يَشْطُب، يَطْمُس
fjerneholde sig i baggrundensletteudviske
háttérben marad
afmá, òurrka útláta sem minnst á sér bera
laikytis nuošaliailikti nepastebimam
izdzēstturēties malā/sāņus
stáť bokom
dikkati çekmemeye çalışmaksilmek
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
efface
[ɪˈfeɪs] vt (= remove) [+ name, image] → effacer; [+ memory] → effacerto efface o.s. (= be humble) → s'effacer
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
efface
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
efface
(iˈfeis) verb1. to rub out; to remove. You must try to efface the event from your memory.
2. to avoid drawing attention to (oneself). She did her best to efface herself at parties.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.