(grammar) Applied to one of the cases of the noun in some languages, the fundamental meaning of the case being removal, separation, or taking away, and to a lesser degree, instrument, place, accordance, specifications, price, or measurement. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).][2]
(obsolete) Pertaining to taking away or removing. [Attested from the mid 16th century until the early 18th century.][2]
(engineering, nautical) Sacrificial, wearing away or being destroyed in order to protect the underlying, as in ablative paints used for antifouling. [First attested in 1959.][3].
(medicine) Relating to the removal of a body part, tumor, or organ. [First attested in the mid 20th century.][2]
(geology) Relating to the erosion of a land mass; relating to the melting or evaporation of a glacier. [First attested in the mid 20th century.][2]