Etymology

precancel

P3R1E1C3A1N1C3E1L1

Today it means: To cancel or frank (a postage stamp) prior to posting it. Full definition →

English cancel ← Middle English cancellen ← Anglo-Norman canceler
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinprae-
  7. Middle Englishpre-
  8. Englishpre-
  9. Old Frenchcanceler
  10. Anglo-Normancanceler
  11. Middle Englishcancellen
  12. Englishcancel
  13. English todayprecancel

From pre- + cancel.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.