raze also rase (rāz)
tr.v., razed, also rased, raz·ing, ras·ing, raz·es, ras·es.

1. To level to the ground; demolish. See synonyms at ruin.
2. To scrape or shave off.
3. Archaic. To erase.

[Middle English rasen, to scrape off, from Old French raser, from Vulgar Latin *rāsāre, frequentative of Latin rādere. See rash².]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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