delete
UK: dɪˈliːt | US: dɪˈliːt
vt. to remove or erase something (e.g., text, data, files)
vt. to eliminate or exclude deliberately
The word "delete" traces back to Latin delere, meaning "to destroy, wipe out, erase." The morpheme de- signifies removal, while -let (from -lere) conveys striking or wiping. Originally used in physical contexts (e.g., scraping off writing from wax tablets), it evolved into its modern digital sense of erasing data. The spelling preserved the Latin deletus, streamlining into "delete" in Middle English.
Press Ctrl+D to delete the selected file.
The editor decided to delete the redundant paragraph.
Old emails are automatically deleted after 30 days.
The virus corrupted and deleted critical system files.
She accidentally deleted her entire photo gallery.