ablative Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the case indicating the agent in passive sentences or the instrument or manner or place of the action described by the verb
    ablative case.
  2. adjective relating to the ablative case
  3. adjective satellite tending to ablate; i.e. to be removed or vaporized at very high temperature
    • ablative material on a rocket cone

WordNet


Ab"la*tive adjective
Etymology
F. ablatif, ablative, L. ablativus fr. ablatus. See Ablation.
Definitions
  1. Taking away or removing. Obs.
    Where the heart is forestalled with misopinion, ablative directions are found needful to unteach error, ere we can learn truth. Bp. Hall.
  2. (Gram.) Applied to one of the cases of the noun in Latin and some other languages, -- the fundamental meaning of the case being removal, separation, or taking away.
Ab"la*tive
Definitions
  1. (Gram.) The ablative case.

Webster 1913