defoliate

[ verb dee-foh-lee-eyt; adjective dee-foh-lee-it, -eyt ]

verb (used with object),de·fo·li·at·ed, de·fo·li·at·ing.

to strip (a tree, bush, etc.) of leaves.
to destroy or cause widespread loss of leaves in (an area of jungle, forest, etc.), as by using chemical sprays or incendiary bombs, in order to deprive enemy troops or guerrilla forces of concealment.

verb (used without object),de·fo·li·at·ed, de·fo·li·at·ing.

to lose leaves.

adjective

(of a tree) having lost its leaves, especially by a natural process.

Origin of defoliate

1785–1795; <Medieval Latin dēfoliātus, past participle of dēfoliāre, equivalent to Latin dē-de- + foli(um) leaf + -ātus-ate¹

Other words from defoliate

de·fo·li·a·tion, noun
de·fo·li·a·tor, noun
un·de·fo·li·at·ed, adjective

Words Nearby defoliate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use defoliate in a sentence

When neglected for two or three years, they often defoliate large trees.
Soil Culture | J. H. Walden

British Dictionary definitions for defoliate

defoliate

verb(diːˈfəʊlɪˌeɪt)

to deprive (a plant) of its leaves, as by the use of a herbicide, or (of a plant) to shed its leaves

adjective(diːˈfəʊlɪɪt)

(of a plant) having shed its leaves

Origin of defoliate

C18: from Medieval Latin dēfoliāre, from Latin de- + folium leaf

Derived forms of defoliate

defoliation, noun
defoliator, noun

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

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