edit

Back-formation from editor, influenced by French éditer (“edit, publish”) and Latin editus.

• (UK) enPR: ĕdʹĭt, IPA^(key): /ˈɛdɪt/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• (US) enPR: ĕdʹĭt, IPA^(key): /ˈɛdɪt/, [ˈɛɾɪʔt̚]
• Rhymes: -ɛdɪt

edit (plural edits)

1. A change to the text of a document.
2. (computing) A change in the text of a file, a website or the code of software.
3. An edited piece of media, especially video footage.

   An early edit of the film included a romantic subplot.

4. (comedy) An interruption or change to an improvised scene.
5. (genetics) An alteration to the DNA sequence of a chromosome; an act of gene splicing.

edit (third-person singular simple present edits, present participle editing, simple past and past participle edited)

1. To change a text, or a document.

   Your speech is too long. You need to edit it.

2. To alter a photograph or recording of sound or video.

   We shot an hour-long interview then edited it down to 45 minutes.

3. (transitive) To be the editor of a publication.

   He edits the Chronicle.

   • 1912, L. Frank Baum, Aunt Jane's Nieces on Vacation Chapter 3

     "How?" responded Patsy; "why, it's easy enough, Uncle. We'll buy a press, hire a printer, and Beth and Louise will help me edit the paper. I'm sure I can exhibit literary talents of a high order, once they are encouraged to sprout. Louise writes lovely poetry and 'stories of human interest,' and Beth—"

4. (computing) To change the contents of a file, website, etc.

   Wikipedia is an interactive encyclopedia which allows anybody to edit and improve articles.

5. (biology) To alter the DNA sequence of a chromosome; to perform gene splicing.
   • 2015 April 26, Beth Shapiro, “Could we 'de-extinctify' the woolly mammoth”, in The Guardian‎:

     Today, the technology to edit genomes is limited in the number of changes that can be made at once, which is probably one reason why the Harvard team focused on only 14 genes.

6. To assemble a film by cutting and splicing raw footage.
   • 2014 December 17, Mekado Murphy, “Below the Line: Editing ‘Boyhood’”, in New York Times‎:

     When the director approached Ms. Adair about his idea for “Boyhood,” shooting footage each of those 12 years, she immediately agreed to take part. The decision was made to edit the film progressively, cutting the scenes from each year after they were completed.

7. (comedy) To cut short or otherwise alter an improvised scene.
   • 2015, Matt Fotis; Siobhan O'Hara, The Comedy Improv Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to University Improvisational Comedy in Theatre and Performance, New York, NY: Focal Press, →ISBN, page 145:

     A good rule of thumb is to edit a scene before you think, "Gosh, somebody should edit this scene."

8. (ergative) To lend itself to editing in a certain way.
   • 2018, Gary Hudson, Sarah Rowlands, The Broadcast Journalism Handbook

     The junior can offer to do the voxes, gaining experience and sparing the senior journalist the trouble. Always remember to think how the clips will edit together.

• (change a text, document, etc.): retouch, fix up, alter
• (alter a DNA sequence): splice
• (alter a film): cut

• -tide, DIET, Diet, diet, dite, diët, tide, tied

Form of the verb edō (“I eat”).

edit

1. third-person singular present active indicative/subjunctive of edō

ēdit

1. third-person singular perfect active indicative of edō

Form of the verb ēdō (“I dispatch”).

ēdit

1. third-person singular present active indicative of ēdō