defoliate

American  

[dee-foh-lee-eyt, dee-foh-lee-it, -eyt] / diˈfoʊ liˌeɪt, diˈfoʊ li ɪt, -ˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

defoliated, defoliating

1. to strip (a tree, bush, etc.) of leaves.

2. 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.

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verb (used without object)

defoliated, defoliating

1. to lose leaves.

adjective

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

defoliate British  

verb

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

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adjective

1. (of a plant) having shed its leaves

Other Word Forms

• defoliation noun
• defoliator noun
• undefoliated adjective

Etymology

Origin of defoliate

1785–1795; < Medieval Latin dēfoliātus, past participle of dēfoliāre, equivalent to Latin dē- de- + foli ( um ) leaf + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

If tomato hornworms try to defoliate your plants, there’s a wasp for that, too — more than one, in fact.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2022

The plant in his hands was a Palmer amaranth descendant that had demonstrated resistance to 2,4-D, one of two active ingredients in compounds used to defoliate forests during the Vietnam War.

From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2021

Enlist E3 soybeans are bred to resist glyphosate, glufosinate and 2,4-D, a chemical with roots stretching to the Vietnam War as an ingredient in Agent Orange, used by the U.S. military to defoliate jungle.

From Reuters • Jan. 24, 2018

The herbicide was used by American forces on a regular basis to defoliate jungle areas in Vietnam.

From Washington Times • Jan. 5, 2015

When neglected for two or three years, they often defoliate large trees.

From Soil Culture by Walden, J. H.