untype

English

Etymology

From un- +‎ type.

Verb

untype (third-person singular simple present untypes, present participle untyping, simple past and past participle untyped)

1. To erase text that has been typed.
   • 1984, The Business Week - Part 6, page 201:

     One ribbon handles both printing and correcting, so it untypes as uniquely as it types.

   • 1985, Life - Volume 8, page 137:

     The incredible WordEraser^TM correction. It untypes whole words at a touch.

   • 1998, David C. Kay, Microsoft Works 4.5 for Windows For Dummies, page 87:

     To untype something you just typed, you can also use Ctrl+Z.

   • 2013, Dan Gookin, Word 2013 For Dummies, page 47:

     For example, you may type some text and then use Undo to “untype” the text.

2. To overcome or avoid the usual typecasting of.
   • 1953, Connery Chappell, Picturegoer Film Annual, page 80:

     He deglamorizes the stars and untypes the character players.

   • 1954, Film News - Volumes 14-15, page 20:

     While Hollywood deserves credit for the attempt to untype her, yet she had best not stray so far from...

   • 1971, Manny Farber, Negative Space: Manny Farber on the Movies, page 36:

     While it is Huston's talent to untype the familiar character actor by blowing up a particular physical gesture, he seems also to incapacitate actors with anticipated, summarized characters.

Anagrams

• Putney