effacement — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The act of expunging, of wiping out; expungement.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Among the many very baffling inconsistencies of Shakespeare's life the outstanding mystery is surely this: that of all his prolific work […] not a line of manuscript is known to exist today. Nothing approaching this complete effacement can be paralleled in literary history […]

2. Withdrawal in order to make oneself inconspicuous; the making of oneself inconspicuous.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Native Americans seem to have always placed great value on silence and direct experience, and in indigenous cultures in general, silence denotes respect and self-effacement.

3. A shortening, or thinning, of the cervix before or during early labour.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

Noun

1. shortening of the uterine cervix and thinning of its walls as it is dilated during labor

   Broader terms

   organic processbiological process

2. withdrawing into the background; making yourself inconspicuous

   Synonyms

   self-effacement

   Broader terms

   withdrawal