defoliant
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of defoliant
First recorded in 1940–45; defoli(ate) + -ant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
More than half of that spraying involved the dioxin-contaminated defoliant Agent Orange.
From Salon • Apr. 30, 2025
Some deforestation can be traced back to the Vietnam War, when forests were sprayed with the toxic defoliant known as Agent Orange.
From National Geographic • Dec. 20, 2023
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.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 10, 2023
Speaking to an audience of veterans and lawmakers, Mr. Biden said it had taken years for researchers and lawmakers to better understand the harmful effects of Agent Orange, the defoliant used in the Vietnam War.
From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2022
An incubator is set way too high at thirty-seven degrees Celsius, which makes no sense for a defoliant to kill Sagan’s plant life for terra-forming.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
