defoliant

[dee-foh-lee-uhnt]

noun

1. a preparation for defoliating plants.

defoliant

/ diːˈfəʊlɪənt /

noun

1. a chemical sprayed or dusted onto trees to cause their leaves to fall, esp to remove cover from an enemy in warfare

Word History and Origins

Origin of defoliant¹

First recorded in 1940–45; defoli(ate) + -ant

Example Sentences

More than half of that spraying involved the dioxin-contaminated defoliant Agent Orange.

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The cause was Parkinson’s disease, which his family said resulted from exposure to Agent Orange, the toxic chemical sprayed by American aircraft as a defoliant in Vietnam.

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Some deforestation can be traced back to the Vietnam War, when forests were sprayed with the toxic defoliant known as Agent Orange.

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Parkinson’s disease, an inner ear disorder and other neurological problems, all likely caused by the Vietnam vet’s exposure to the infamous defoliant Agent Orange, made it difficult for him to move.

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Many of the veterans had long complained about health problems they said were caused by the Agent Orange defoliant the American military used during the war.

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Related Words

• fungicide 
• insecticide 
• pesticide