efface

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to erase or remove marks, writing, or visible features

   Years of wind and rain had effaced the inscription on the stone.

2. 2
   verb

   to make a memory, distinction, or impression disappear

   No ceremony could efface the bitterness of the dispute.

3. 3
   verb

   to make oneself inconspicuous or avoid drawing attention

   During the meeting, he tried to efface himself behind a stack of folders.

From Middle French effacer, 'to erase,' from Old French esfacier, literally 'to remove the face or surface.' The figurative senses extend physical erasure to memories, distinctions, and personal prominence.

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