ablation

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ab·la·tion / əˈblāshən/ • n. 1. the surgical removal of body tissue.2. the removal of snow and ice by melting or evaporation, typically from a glacier or iceberg. ∎  the erosion of rock. ∎  the loss of surface material from a spacecraft or meteorite through evaporation or melting caused by friction with the atmosphere.DERIVATIVES: ab·late / əˈblāt/ v.

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