ablation

From Middle French and Latin ablātiō (“a taking away”), from ablātus (“removed”), the perfect passive participle of auferō (“carry away”). Compare French ablation.

• (US) enPR: ə-blā'-shən IPA^(key): /əˈbleɪ.ʃn̩/, /æˈbleɪ.ʃn̩/

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• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

ablation (countable and uncountable, plural ablations)

1. (obsolete) A carrying or taking away; removal. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
2. (medicine) The surgical removal of a body part, an organ, or especially a tumor; the removal of an organ function; amputation. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
3. (sciences) The progressive removal of material by any of a variety of processes such as vaporization under heat or chipping. [Mid 20^th century.][1]
4. (geology) The removal of a glacier by melting and evaporation; the lowering of a land surface by any of several means, as in wind erosion, mass wasting. [Mid 20^th century.][1]

• ablate
• ablative

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ablation f (plural ablations)

1. The often forceful removal (physical or otherwise) or abolition of something.
   • 2008 April 25, Martine Chouinard, “Brebis égarée”, in Le Devoir‎:

     […] se contentant d'annoncer que l'ablation des nouvelles permettra de voguer vers «la production d'émissions culturelles et de divertissement de qualité».

     merely announcing that the elimination of news programming [on tv channel TQS] will allow it to focus on "the production of quality entertainment and cultural programming"

2. (medicine) ablation
3. (sciences) ablation

• “ablation” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).