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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

defacement en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /dɪˈfeɪsmənt/
  • (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English deface Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English defacement From deface + -ment.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) An act of defacing; an instance of visibly marring or disfiguring something.
    • Some consider the defacement of the Sphinx to be the most egregious crime of Napolean's campaigns.
  2. (countable, uncountable) An act of voiding or devaluing; nullification of the face value.
    • The soldiers found a variety of creative uses for their payment scrip after its defacement to scrap paper; some used it as toilet paper.
  3. (countable, uncountable) A symbol added to a flag or coat of arms to change it or make it different from another.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
defacements Number=Plur lexicographic

Synonyms

obliteration (act of defacing) · devaluation (nullification of face value) · vandalism (act of defacing) · cancellation (nullification of face value) · disfiguration (act of defacing) · graffiti (act of defacing)

Translations (7)

ca desfiguració (marring, disfiguring) · ga milleadh (marring, disfiguring) · fi mitätöinti (voiding, nullification) · fi turmeleminen (marring, disfiguring) · ga lot (marring, disfiguring) · ca devaluació (voiding, nullification) · fi lisäys (added symbol)