WORD OF THE DAY
An ablation is removing a body part, organ, or tissue surgically. If a doctor takes out one of your kidneys, that's an ablation.
This Latinate noun from the little-used verb ablate refers to the surgical removal of tissue from someone's body. This is a general term that applies to the surgical removal of any part of the patient's body. If an oncologist is removing a cancerous growth, that's an ablation. If a limb is being amputated, that's an ablation. If a dentist pulls out a tooth, that's an ablation. The other kind of ablation is also a reduction: the melting of glaciers.
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Vocabulary lists containing ablation
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