To delete or remove written or printed material; a proofreading mark indicating something should be removed.
From Latin 'dele' (imperative: delete). The word entered English through printing and publishing as a technical term, maintaining its Latin imperative form.
Proofreaders use the 'dele' symbol (a small curved line) to mark deletions, and it's been standard for centuries—it's one of the few Latin imperatives English speakers still actively use daily.
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