A.Word.A.Day --ablate

A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact

Home

Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ

Jun 20, 2012

This week's theme
Back-formations

This week's words
adulate
sere
ablate
esthesia
auscultate

Make a gift that
keeps on giving,
all year long:
A gift subscription of AWAD or give the gift of books

Discuss

Feedback

RSS/XML

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

ablate

PRONUNCIATION:

(a-BLAYT)

MEANING:

verb tr.: To remove by melting, vaporizing, erosion, etc.
verb intr.: To become ablated.

ETYMOLOGY:

Back-formation from ablation, from Latin ab- (away) + ferre (to carry). Earliest documented use: before 1475; ablation is from 1425.

USAGE:

"My anger scoured my insides, burned my love for him out of me, ablated my heart's interior walls."
Arthur Phillips; The Tragedy of Arthur; Random House; 2012.

See more usage examples of ablate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

When one guy sees an invisible man, he's a nut case; ten people see him, it's a cult; ten million people see him, it's a respected religion. -Richard Jeni, comedian and actor (1957-2007)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise