delete

di-LEET/dɪˈliːt/

Noun pluraldeletes

7 meanings of delete

1
verbtransitive
To remove or erase something, like words on a page or files on a computer.
Like rubbing out pencil marks so they are gone.
She deleted the photo from her phone.
Please delete that line from the form before printing it.
Similarerase, remove, clear, strike
Oppositeinsert, restore, maintain
Note
2
nouncountable
A single act of removing or erasing something.
Like rubbing out one word with an eraser.
He made one quick delete and the typo was gone.
The teacher marked several deletes on my essay.
Similardeletion, erasure
Oppositeinsertion, addition
Note
3
noununcountable
Alternative letter-case form of Delete. It refers to the same keyboard key, just written in lowercase.
Press delete to erase the selected words.
He hit delete by mistake and lost his work.
Note
4
verbslangtransitive
To kill someone.
The mob boss ordered his men to delete the witness.
He bragged about deleting two rivals last summer.
Similarkill, murder, eliminate, whack, waste
Note
5
verbslangtransitive
To beat someone very easily in a game.
Like winning a game so easily that the other side never had a chance.
Our team deleted theirs in the final round.
She can delete any player who challenges her.
Similardestroy, crush, demolish, annihilate, thrash
Note
6
nouncountable
A special computer character, written as code 7F, that stands for a removed letter.
Like a tiny hidden 'ignore this' note inside computer text.
The old file had a stray delete buried in its code.
Each delete in the stream told the reader to skip a character.
Note
7
nouncountable
A music or movie copy that is no longer made and is sold off cheaply.
Like a book that the shop stops selling and clears out cheap.
He found the album as a cheap delete in the bargain bin.
The store sold old deletes for a dollar each.
Similarcutout, remainder
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of delete apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Latin dēlēre meaning "to destroy or blot out." It came from parts meaning "away" and "to smear or wipe."