verb

effaced

ih-FAYST

Effaced (verb) means past tense and past participle of efface: to rub out, erase or wear away a mark, inscription or image so that it can no longer be seen. Example: “Centuries of rain had effaced the inscription on the stone.”

verb

Past tense and past participle of efface: to rub out, erase or wear away a mark, inscription or image so that it can no longer be seen.

"Centuries of rain had effaced the inscription on the stone."

"The regime effaced his name from every official record."

In the phrase 'effaced oneself': behaved modestly and avoided drawing attention to oneself.

"He effaced himself entirely, letting the younger staff take the credit."

adjective

medical In obstetrics, of the cervix: thinned and shortened in preparation for childbirth, measured as a percentage.

"At the check she was eighty per cent effaced and three centimetres dilated."

How to Use Effaced

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishRubbed out or worn away; in pregnancy, describes the cervix thinning out before birth.

When to use it

Literary in general use, routine in obstetric notes.

Memory tip

Do not confuse with 'defaced', which means damaged or spoiled by marking, not wiped clean.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

erased → defaced effaced vs dilated

Common pairings

effaced by time effaced from history self-effaced fully effaced effaced and dilated

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Centuries of rain had _____ the inscription on the stone.

Etymology

From French 'effacer', to erase, from 'es-' (out) plus 'face', literally to remove the face or surface of something.

Origin: French

Synonyms

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erased obliterated wiped out expunged rubbed out kept a low profile stayed in the background

Related Words

destroyed deleted smashed erased obliterated

Rhymes for effaced

faced paced raced laced placed braced surfaced misplaced disgraced

See all rhymes for effaced →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to be 80 per cent effaced?

It means the cervix has thinned to about a fifth of its usual length as labour approaches. Effacement is measured separately from dilation, which is how far the cervix has opened, and the two usually progress together.

What is the difference between effaced and erased?

'Erased' is the everyday word for removing writing or data. 'Effaced' is more literary and suggests gradual wearing away or deliberate blotting out of something's identity, as when a name is effaced from history.

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