ablation

noun

ab·​la·​tion a-ˈblā-shən 

: the process of ablating: such as

a

: surgical removal

b

: loss of a part (such as ice from a glacier or the outside of a nose cone) by melting or vaporization

Examples of ablation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In August, after my final TACE session, I was scheduled for microwave ablation—a treatment reserved for when tumors are nearly gone. —Tim Ryan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025

In May, Bryant traveled to Los Angeles to undergo an ablation procedure on his lower back. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 11 June 2025

According to the Mayo Clinic, nerve ablation is a procedure that destroys nerves in an area of pain. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 11 June 2025

Volt, which is used to treat abnormal heart rhythms, helps Abbott compete against the likes of Boston Scientific and Medtronic in the market for pulsed field ablation (PFA) devices. —Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ablacioun "removal," borrowed from Late Latin ablātiōn-, ablātiō, from Latin ablā-, suppletive stem of auferre "to carry away, remove" + -tiōn-, tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at ablate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ablation

• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation
• conflation

Kids Definition

ablation

noun

ab·​la·​tion a-ˈblā-shən 

: the process of ablating: as

a

: surgical cutting and removal

b

: removal of a part (as the outside of a nose cone) by melting or vaporization

Medical Definition

ablation

noun

ab·​la·​tion a-ˈblā-shən 

: the process of ablating

especially : surgical removal