| ablation [ǝ`blā·shǝn] AEROSPACE ENGINEERING The intentional removal of material from a nose cone or spacecraft during high-speed movement through a planetary atmosphere to provide thermal protection to the underlying structure. GEOLOGY The wearing away of rocks, as by erosion or weathering. HYDROLOGY The reduction in volume of a glacier due to melting and evaporation. MEDICINE The removal of tissue or a part of the body by surgery, such as by excision or amputation. |