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defoliant

[dee-foh-lee-uh nt]
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noun
  1. a preparation for defoliating plants.
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Origin of defoliant

First recorded in 1940–45; defoli(ate) + -ant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

pesticidefungicidedefoliantinsecticideweedkillerDDTparaquatherbicide
British Dictionary definitions for defoliant

defoliant

noun
  1. a chemical sprayed or dusted onto trees to cause their leaves to fall, esp to remove cover from an enemy in warfare
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for defoliant

adj.

1943, from defoliate + -ant.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper