To remove or destroy material by cutting, wearing it away, or turning it into vapor.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- ablate tissue
- laser-ablate a surface
- ablate a tumor
On the page
The surgeon used a laser to ablate the abnormal tissue.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- ablate
- Past tense
- ablated
- Past participle
- ablated
- Present participle
- ablating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- ablate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are ablating
- Present perfect
- have/has ablated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been ablating
- Past
- ablated
- Past continuous
- was/were ablating
- Past perfect
- had ablated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been ablating
- Future
- will ablate
- Future continuous
- will be ablating
- Future perfect
- will have ablated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been ablating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: horror / gothic literary. Lexical Type: Word. Forms: ablate; ablates; ablated; ablated; ablating Commonness: moderately common (editorial estimate; not a corpus frequency statistic). Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1; numbered fields keep each relevant meaning separate. Research distinction: Direct dictionary reading: remove/destroy by cutting, abrasion or evaporation; intransitive become removed, especially vaporize. Medical tissue removal explicitly read. General methods grouped as one core removal meaning, no artificial domain splitting. Individually reviewed for a precise writer function, not selected merely for rarity. Original definitions/examples; commonness editorial, not a corpus statistic. Genre suitability does not establish inherent fear or emotional intensity. Writing functions: clinical removal of tissue, material destruction at a surface. Third-person singular: ablates.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.