Expunge
/ɪkˈspʌndʒ/noun
To erase, delete, or remove completely.
Did you know?Expunge comes from Latin *expungere*, originally meaning to prick out or blot out marks on a tablet with a stylus—proof that words have long been tools of deletion and control.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
expungere
“to prick out, blot out, erase by making marks”
Late Latin
Latin
expunctus
“marked off, canceled, erased”
Old French
Old French
expongier
“to blot out, erase”
Middle English
English
expungen
“to erase, cancel, or strike out”
Modern English
English
expunge
“to erase or remove completely, especially from a record”