Efface
/ɪˈfeɪs/noun
To erase or remove the visible surface or effect of something.
Did you know?Efface entered English through French from Latin roots meaning “out” + “face,” and the same Latin face-root also lives in words like facet and surface, proving how often language turns the body into metaphor.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
ex- + facies
“out of + face, appearance”
Old French
Old French
effacer
“to erase, wipe out”
14th Century
Middle English
effacen
“to erase, remove from sight or memory”
Modern English
English
efface
“to erase or make less visible”