efface

Efface is a verb in English meaning to erase or wipe out, or to cause details to disappear. The primary sense is physical: to remove marks from a surface, such as pencil, ink, or chalk, so that they are no longer visible. It can also refer to erasing information, inscriptions, or records, including the act of rubbing out mistakes in writing or removing graffiti.

The term can be used metaphorically to describe erasing or suppressing something non-physical, such as evidence, memories, or traces of the past. A related sense is self-effacement: to conceal one's own presence or importance, often by downplaying achievements or avoiding attention.

Etymology: efface comes from Old French effacer, from Latin effacere “to wipe out,” from ex- “out of” + facere “to make.” The word entered English in the 15th century and retains both literal and figurative uses.