ablative Hear it!

ablative Definition

ab·la·tive (ablə tiv; for adj. 2, ab lātiv)

adjective

  1. Gram. designating, of, or in a case expressing removal, deprivation, direction away from, source, cause, or agency
  2. Astrophysics that ablates, as the protective coating material on the nose cone of a space missile

Etymology: ME < L ablativus < ablatus, pp. of auferre < ab-, away + ferre, to bear

noun

  1. the ablative case: this case is expressed by inflection in languages such as Latin, Sanskrit, and Hungarian
  2. a word or phrase in this case
ablative Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • case: In Latin, such constructions were marked by the use of the ablative case.
  • procedure: Few intracranial ablative procedures are carried out for chronic pain.
  • surgery: The addition of ablative superficial venous surgery to this strategy has not been shown to affect ulcer healing.
  • technique: Chemotherapy may be used for palliation when ablative techniques have failed or when significant extrahepatic disease is present.
  • therapy: Non-invasive and non ablative low level laser therapy - cold laser therapy or soft laser therapy - has a bright future!
  • black: Those stealth bombers are not painted black to evoke menace, or to disappear into the night: this is ablative black.

Browse dictionary entries near ablative

  1. ablation
  2. ablating
  3. ablated
  4. ablate
  5. ablactation
  6. abl
  7. Abkhazia
  8. abjuring
  9. abjurer
  10. abjured
  1. ablative absolute
  2. ablaut
  3. ablaze
  4. able
  5. able-bodied
  6. able-bodied seaman
  7. able seaman
  8. -able
  9. abler
  10. ablest