This is a simple tri-tip rub recipe straight from a barbeque in Santa Maria..
-ation. suffix forming nouns. 1. indicating an action, process, state, condition, or result Compare-ion, -tion: arbitration; cogitation; hibernation; moderation. [from Latin -ÄtiÅn-, suffix of abstract nouns, from -Ätus-ate 1 + -iÅn-ion].
A suffix is a bit of speech that gets attached at the end of a word to modify it or to make it into a related word. For example, you can attach -er to the end of a great many verbs to get a word meaning person who does X - hunter, watcher, sea...