er ‧ ga ‧ tive /ˈɜːɡətɪv $ ˈɜːr-/ BrE AmE adjective technical
an ergative verb can be either ↑ transitive or ↑ intransitive , with the same word used as the object of the transitive form and as the subject of the intransitive form, such as ‘cooked’ in the sentences ‘He cooked the potatoes’ and ‘The potatoes cooked quickly’.