"disappear quickly," c.1300, from shortened form of esvaniss-, stem of Old French esvanir "disappear; cause to disappear," from Vulgar Latin *exvanire, from Latin evanescere "disappear, pass away, die out," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + vanescere "vanish," inchoative verb from vanus "empty" (see vain). Related: Vanished; vanishing; vanishingly. Vanishing point in perspective drawing is recorded from 1797.