Meaning & use
Ablative
Last updated
Relating to a grammatical case, found in Latin and other languages, that typically expresses separation, source, or means; also describing a material designed to wear away or vaporize to dissipate heat.
See it in a sentence
In Latin, the ablative case is used to indicate the means or instrument by which an action is performed.
The spacecraft's heat shield used an ablative coating that burned away during reentry.
A note on using this word
Ablative comes from the Latin 'ablatus,' meaning 'carried away,' which explains both the grammatical sense of separation and the technical sense of material that erodes away.
Another way to use it
2. noun
A material or coating engineered to erode, char, or vaporize gradually to protect an underlying surface from heat.
Engineers tested a new ablative for the rocket's nose cone.
Make it your own
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