ablate

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
3. Proto-Italic*ap
4. Latinab
5. Latinab-
6. Proto-Indo-European*telh₂-
7. Proto-Indo-European*tl̥h₂tós
8. Latinlatus
9. Latinablātus
10. Middle Englishablat
11. Late Latinablātiō
12. Middle Englishalbacioun
13. Englishablationbf.
14. English todayablate

From Middle English ablat (“taken away”), from Latin ablātus, past participle of auferō (“to remove”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). First attested in the 1500s, it became obsolete by the early 1600s. Returned into use as a back-formation from ablation.

First known use, by meaning

• Late 15ᵗʰ century. To remove or decrease something by cutting, erosion, melting, evaporation, or vaporization.
• Mid 20ᵗʰ century. To undergo ablation; to become melted or evaporated and removed at a high temperature.