Emily Dickinson Lexicon

AB'LA-TIVE, a. [F. ablatif; It. ablativo; L. ablativus; L. ablatus, from aufero, to carry away, of ab and fero.]

A word applied to the sixth case of nouns in the Latin language, in which case are used words when the actions of carrying away, or taking from are signified. Ablative absolute, is when a word in that case, is independent, in construction, of the rest of the sentence.