delete

[dih-leet] /dɪˈlit/

verb (used with object), deleted, deleting.

to strike out or remove (something written or printed); cancel; erase; expunge.

Origin

1485-95; < Latin dēlētus (past participle of dēlēre to destroy), equivalent to dēl- destroy + -ē- thematic vowel + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

deletable, adjective

redelete, verb (used with object), redeleted, redeleting.

undeleted, adjective

Synonyms

eradicate. See cancel.

Examples from the web for delete

Click the delete key to remove the current information.
Once they appear here, they're here until you delete them.
Citing the school's honor code, he instructed them to delete the test immediately.
To delete all issues, please log out and log back into the app.
Upload anything you need to keep to a secure site and delete the rest.
Once done, mouse over the thumbnails to add captions, rotate or delete the pictures.
To delete an article, swipe the item in either direction.
If you cannot resist making a clever retort to a moronic message, write it, and then delete it.
As an added bonus, it dramatically reduces the load of spam and slashes the time required to delete any that does get through.
If there is a way to delete the duplicate, please let me know.

British Dictionary definitions for delete

delete

/dɪˈliːt/

verb

(transitive) to remove (something printed or written); erase; cancel; strike out

Word Origin

C17: from Latin dēlēre to destroy, obliterate

Word Origin and History for delete

late 15c., "destroy, eradicate," from Latin deletus, past participle of delere "destroy, blot out, efface," from delevi, originally perfective tense of delinere "to daub, erase by smudging" (as of the wax on a writing table), from de- "from, away" (see de-) + linere "to smear, wipe" (see lime (n.1)). In English, specifically of written matter, from c.1600. Related: Deleted; deleting.

delete in Technology

1. (Or "erase") To make a file inaccessible.
Usually this operation only deletes information from the tables the file system uses to locate named files; the file's contents still exist on disk and can sometimes be recovered by scanning the whole disk for strings which are known to have been in the file. Files created subsequently on the same disk are quite likely to reuse the same blocks and thus overwrite the deleted file's data permanently.
2. The control character with ASCII code 127. Usually entering this character from the keyboard deletes the last character typed from the input buffer. Sadly there is great confusion between operating systems and keyboard manufacturers as to whether this function should be assigned to the delete or backspace key/character.
The choice of code 127 (binary 1111111) is not arbitrary but dates back to the use of paper tape for input. The delete key rewound the tape by one character and punched out all seven holes, thus obliterating whatever character was there before. The tape reading software ignored any delete characters in the input.
(1996-12-01)