# obliterative
## English
### Etymology

From obliterate +‎ -ive.

### Adjective

obliterative (comparative more obliterative, superlative most obliterative)
* Tending or serving to obliterate.
** 1977, Samuel N. Postlethwait, Exploring Teaching Alternatives, page 10:The obliterative stage is a natural process of erasing old facts, which frees the mind for new things.
** 1992, M. J. Whitford, Getting Rid of Graffiti, page 108:Applying conventional obliterative paint over graffiti is undesirable for several reasons.
** 2013, Erik Flügel, Microfacies of Carbonate Rocks, page 362:Obliterative diagenetic textures can be caused by recrystallization and/or replacement and result in a complete loss of the original fabrics and the formation of sparstone or microsparstone (->2).
** 2015, Horatius Bonar, edited by Terry Kulakowski, The Everlasting Righteousness, page 47:The transaction is not one of indifference to sin, or obliterative of the distinction between righteousness and unrighteousness.
* Tending or serving to hide or deny.
** 1910, Theodore Roosevelt, African game trails, page 557:This is undoubtedly true as a statement of the coloration, but whether this coloration is in fact obliterative needs further investigation. Of course if it is obliterative, then its use is to conceal the mammals.
** 1942, Carney Landis, Mary Marjorie Bolles, Personality and Sexuality of the Physically Handicapped Woman, page 88:The obliterative method of reaction seemed to be the most personally satisfying reaction, since more in this group had adequate social adjustments, and derived pleasure from their activities.
** 2011, Martin Stevens, Sami Merilaita, Animal Camouflage: Mechanisms and Function, page 9:For camouflage, the two most relevant functions are SSC, where the creation of shadows is cancelled out by countershading, and obliterative shading, where the shadow/light cues for the three-dimensional form of the animal are destroyed (Poulton 1890; Thayer 1896).
* (medicine) Causing a passageway to become completely closed off.
** 1900, John Blair Deaver, A Treatise on Appendicitis, page 89:In the case of true obliterative appendicitis, however, the opposed surfaces of the lumen have become firmly united to each other, and the obliterating band is absolutely impervious.
** 1958, United States. Army Medical Service, The Medical Department of the United States Army in World War II., page 300:In the 37 cases of deep gangrene observed at Mayo General Hospital, as in other similar cases, the process differed from the gangrene observed in thromboangiitis obliterans, arteriosclerosis, and other obliterative vascular diseases , chiefly because the reduction in the circulation of the foot regularly present in those diseases as the result of obliterative vascular changes was generally absent in trenchfoot.
** 2007, William N. Rom, Steven B. Markowitz, Environmental and Occupational Medicine:Although generally obstructive, obliterative changes may lead to non- or poorly communicating airspaces, which will not be obvious on spirometry.

#### Derived terms

* obliterative assimilation
* obliterative bronchiolitis
* obliterative coloration
* obliterative colouration
* obliterative procedure
* obliterative subsumption