'deface' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'desfacier,' where 'des-' meant 'away' and 'facier' meant 'face.'

'desfacier' transformed into the Middle English word 'defacen,' and eventually became the modern English word 'deface'.

Initially, it meant 'to destroy the face or surface of something,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.