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| can·cel [ kánss'l ] |
verb (past and past participle can·celed, present participle can·cel·ing, 3rd person present singular can·cels) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb stop something from happening: to stop a previously arranged event from happening
 We had to cancel five classes because nobody showed up.
 The guest speaker is sick and has had to cancel.
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2. transitive and intransitive verb end contract: to withdraw officially or legally from a contract
 Members are free to cancel at any time.
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3. transitive verb mark document as used: to invalidate a legal or official document to show that it has been used and cannot be reused
 machines that cancel postage stamps
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4. transitive verb reverse instruction: to reverse an instruction to a machine, especially a computer, or bring a machine's operation to an end
 Cancel the download from the Internet.
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5. transitive verb delete something: to mark something for deletion, usually by drawing a line through it
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6. transitive and intransitive verb negate identical factor: to neutralize the effect of another factor or circumstance
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7. transitive verb mathematics remove common factor: to remove a common factor from the numerator and denominator of a fraction or the common terms from the two sides of an equation
 The twelves cancel and you end up with 8 times 6 again.
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noun (plural can·cels) |
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| Definition: |
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1. printing inserted page: a new page or section of a book inserted to replace a missing original or an original that contained errors
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2. printing page to be replaced: a faulty page or section of a book replaced by another
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3. Same as cancellation (sense 3)
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| [14th century. Via French< Latin cancellare "cross out" < cancelli "lattice" < cancer "grating, lattice"] |
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 can·cel·a·ble adjective |
 can·cel·er noun |
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