/'kænsl; `kænsl/
v (-ll-; US -l-)
1 [Tn] say that (sth already arranged and decided upon) will not be done or take place; call off 取消; 废除
*cancel a holiday,concert, meeting, eg because of illness 取消假日[音乐会/会议]（如因病）
* The match had to be cancelled because of bad weather. 比赛因天气不好只得取消. Cf 参看 postpone.
2 [Tn] order (sth) to be stopped; make (sth) invalid 命令（某事物）停止; 使（某事物）作废
*cancel an agreement, a contract, a subscription, etc 取消协议、合同、预订单等
* He cancelled his order, ie said he no longer wanted to receive the goods he had ordered. 他撤销了订货单.
3 [Tn] cross out (sth written) 删除（所写的内容）
*Cancel that last sentence. 把最後一句删掉.
4 [Tn] mark (a postage stamp or ticket) to prevent further use 注销, 盖销（邮票或其他票证以防再用）.
5 [Tn] (mathematics 数) remove (a common factor) from the numerator and denominator of a fraction, or from both sides of an equation, usu by crossing it out 约去, 消去（分数中分子和分母的公因数或方程式两端的相等部分）.
6 (phr v) cancel (sth) out be equal (to sth) in force and effect; counterbalance (sth) 抵销; 对销
*These arguments cancel (each other) out. 不同的争论（彼此）势均力敌.
* Her kindness and generosity cancel out her occasional flashes of temper. 她为人厚道、慷慨大方, 倒也弥补了她偶尔发点儿脾气.

v past tense and past participlecancelledpresent participlecancellingBrEpast tense and past participlecanceledpresent participlecancelingAmE
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French;Origin: canceller 'to cross out', from Latin cancellare 'to make like a frame of crossed bars', from cancer 'frame of crossed bars', from carcer 'prison']
[I and T]
to say that an event that was planned will not happen
　Our flight was cancelled.
　I'm afraid I'll have to cancel our meeting tomorrow.
　You'll just have to ring John and cancel.
[I and T]
to end an agreement or arrangement that you have with someone
　I phoned the hotel to cancel my reservation.
　The bank agreed to cancel all the company's debts.
[T]
to say officially that a document can no longer be used or no longer has any legal effect
　I phoned the bank to cancel the cheque.
cancel out [cancel sth⇔out] phr v
if two things cancel each other out, they are equally important and have an opposite effect to each other, so that neither one has any effect
　The losses in our overseas division have cancelled out the profits made in the home market.