Etymology : Middle English, from Middle French revoquer, from Latin revocare, from re- + vocare to call, from voc-, vox voice; more at VOICE
Pronunciation : ri-'vOk
Function : verb
Date : 14th century
1. failure to play a card of the proper suit when it is possible to do so (Cards); cancellation, annulment, retraction, act of revoking. cancel, annul, repeal, retract; fail to play a card of proper suit when it is possible to do so (Cards). revoke\re*voke"\ , v. t. [imp. & p. p. revoked ;p. pr. & vb. n. revoking.] [f. révoquer, l. revocare; pref. re- re- + vocare to call, fr. vox, vocis, voice. see:
voice, and cf. revocate.].
2. to call or bring back; to recall. [obs.] the faint sprite he did revoke again, to her frail mansion of morality.
3. hence, to annul, by recalling or taking back; to repeal; to rescind; to cancel; to reverse, as anything granted by a special act; as,, to revoke a will, a license, a grant, a permission, a law, or the like.
4. to hold back; to repress; to restrain. [obs.] [she] still strove their sudden rages to revoke.
5. to draw back; to withdraw. [obs.].
6. to call back to mind; to recollect. [obs.] a man, by revoking and recollecting within himself former passages, will be still apt to inculcate these sad memoris to his conscience.
7. To call or bring back; to recall.
8. Hence, to annul, by recalling or taking back; to repeal; to rescind; to cancel; to reverse, as anything granted by a special act; as, , to revoke a will, a license, a grant, a permission, a law, or the like.
9. To hold back; to repress; to restrain.
10. To draw back; to withdraw.
11. To call back to mind; to recollect.
12. To fail to follow suit when holding a card of the suit led, in violation of the rule of the game; to renege.
13. The act of revoking. the mistake of not following suit when able to do so annul by recalling or rescinding; "He revoked the ban on smoking"; "lift an embargo"; "vacate a death sentence" fail to follow suit when able and required to do so.
14. When people in authority revoke something such as a licence, a law, or an agreement, they cancel it. The government revoked her husband's license to operate migrant labor crews. + revocation revo·ca·tion The Montserrat government announced its revocation of 311 banking licences. to officially state that a law, decision, or agreement is no longer effective revocation (revoquer, from revocare ).