cancel

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To decide that a planned event will not happen.

   They had to cancel the concert because of the storm.

2. 2
   verb

   To stop an order, agreement, or arrangement so that it no longer applies.

   He cancelled his order on their website before it was shipped.

3. 3
   verb

   To balance out or remove the effect of something.

   The two forces are equal and cancel each other out.

4. 4
   verb

   To mark something, such as a used stamp, so that it cannot be used again.

   This machine cancels the stamps on every letter that passes through it.

Common collocations

• cancel a visit Verb + noun
• cancel an order Verb + noun

From Middle English cancellen, from Anglo-Norman canceler (“to cross out with lines”) (modern French chanceler (“to stagger, sway”)), from Old French canceler, from Latin cancellō (“to make resemble a lattice”), from cancellus (“a railing or lattice”), diminutive of cancer (“a lattice”).

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images