efface
Definitions
To erase or wipe out (a mark, memory, or impression)
抹去，擦掉；消除
To make (oneself) inconspicuous; to withdraw modestly
使（自己）不引人注目，谦退
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedef- (ex-, out/away) + face (the face branch of fac, from faciēs 'appearance, surface') = 'to take the face off.' To efface something is to rub its surface away until it can't be seen.
Root fac still carries 273 more wordsWhy It Means This
Picture rubbing an inscription off a coin until the face is gone. From that literal 'rub out the surface' came two senses: erase a mark or memory, and the reflexive 'efface oneself' — to make your own presence fade into the background. The phrase self-effacing comes straight from here.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Time had effaced the names carved on the stone.
- 2.
He tried to efface the memory of that night.
- 3.
She effaced herself, letting her students take the credit.
Easily Confused
efface vs deface — Same face root, opposite results. To efface is to remove a surface (rub a mark away, make it disappear); to deface is to damage a surface (scrawl on it, spoil its look). Erase → efface; vandalize → deface.