Looking at your data, it looks like you have a word "type" followed by a list of numbered definitions. I think I'd split each record apart at the numbers, discarding the numbers (since otherwise you'll get gaps in numbering anyway). Then I'd filter out the ones I don't want. It goes like this:

use strict;
use warnings;

while (<DATA>) {
    s/\s+$//;
    my ($type, @defs) = split /\(\d+\)/,$_;
    print "\n------ Word type: $type\n";
    @defs = grep { ! m{\(arch\)} } @defs;
    print "\t$_\n" for @defs;
}
__DATA__
(n,vs) (1) look; glimpse; glance; (vs) (2) to glance; to glimpse; (3) 
+(arch) first meeting; (adv) (4) apparently; seemingly;
(n-t,n-adv) (1) moment; a (short) time; a while; (2) former times; (3)
+ (arch) two-hour period;

[download]

When I run it, I get this:

$ perl 966375.pl

------ Word type: (n,vs) 
     look; glimpse; glance; (vs) 
     to glance; to glimpse; 
     apparently; seemingly;

------ Word type: (n-t,n-adv) 
     moment; a (short) time; a while; 
     former times;

[download]

...roboticus

When your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like your thumb.

In reply to Re: Removing with regexps by roboticus
in thread Removing with regexps by Anonymous Monk

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