erase
v.
To remove by making invisible, especially by rubbing or wiping.
ComputingTo make information irretrievable by overwriting it.
Audiovisual RecordsTo neutralize the magnetic field from magnetic tape, removing any existing signal.
Notes
Erasure1 is not always perfectly invisible; the original markings may not be entirely removed or may leave a physical indentation. The intent is to create a space that is sufficiently clean for new information to be written. Erasure1, 2 both are clearly distinguished from deletion. In the case of written document, deleted information is clearly marked but may remain legible. In the case of computer files, deletion implies that pointers to the files are removed from the directory, but the data remains untouched on the media; erasure requires a further effort to ensure that the data is made unreadable.
