ABLATION

ablation, extirpation, cutting out, excision

(noun) surgical removal of a body part or tissue

ablation

(noun) the erosive process that reduces the size of glaciers

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

ablation (countable and uncountable, plural ablations)

(obsolete) A carrying or taking away; removal. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

(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.]

(sciences) The progressive removal of material by any of a variety of processes such as vaporization under heat or chipping. [Mid 20^th century.]

(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.]

(meteorology) The depletion of surface snow and ice by melting and evaporation.

Source: Wiktionary

Ab*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. ablatio, fr. ablatus p. p. of auferre to carry away; ab + latus, p. p. of ferre carry: cf. F. ablation. See Tolerate.]

1. A carrying or taking away; removal. Jer. Taylor.

2. (Med.)

Definition: Extirpation. Dunglison.

3. (Geol.)

Definition: Wearing away; superficial waste. Tyndall.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition