precancel

P3R1E1C3A1N1C3E1L1

verb

To cancel or frank (a postage stamp) prior to posting it.

OriginEnglish cancel ← Middle English cancellen ← Anglo-Norman canceler →
RareScrabble 15
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Meanings

verbprecancel (third-person singular simple present precancels, present participle (US) precanceling or (UK) precancelling, simple past and past participle (US) precanceled or (UK) precancelled)

present singular third person precancels · US participle present precanceling · UK participle present precancelling · US participle past precanceled · US past precanceled · UK participle past precancelled · UK past precancelled · alternative pre-cancel

  1. transitiveTo cancel or frank (a postage stamp) prior to posting it.
nounprecancel (plural precancels)

plural precancels · alternative pre-cancel

  1. A postage stamp or mail item that has been precancelled.

Origin

  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. Englishprecancel

From pre- + cancel.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

precancel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precancel

MLA

“precancel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precancel. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “precancel,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precancel.

Source: precancel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.