1. to remove or wear away by melting, evaporation, erosion, or vaporization
Usage: technical; often used in medical and scientific contexts
2. to surgically remove body tissue
Usage: medical

Examples

• The glacier will ablate rapidly during the warm summer months.
• Heat from atmospheric entry causes the spacecraft’s heat shield to ablate.
• Surgeons used a laser to ablate the tumor tissue.
• The doctor recommended ablating the abnormal heart tissue to correct the arrhythmia.
• Wind and rain gradually ablate the surface of exposed rocks.
• The procedure will ablate the damaged cells while preserving healthy tissue.