deforest
[dee-fawr-ist, -for-]
- to divest or clear of forests or trees: Poor planning deforested the area in ten years.
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Origin of deforest
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for deforestation
Contemporary Examples
Washington excused its employment on the grounds that U.S. forces used it for purposes of “deforestation” and not against people.
By June, deforestation in the rainforest region had dropped to a 23-year low, and is down 75 percent just since 2004.
Brazil is the fourth-largest greenhouse-gas emitter in the world, largely due to the deforestation of the Amazon.
My father always seemed to be traveling to some exotic place to raise awareness on deforestation issues and species protection.
There has been a big advance in the last year with the deforestation agenda.
Historical Examples
This deforestation is still going on; dead or dying trees fringe the timber still standing.
Archeological InvestigationsGerard Fowke
Deforestation may result in filling a river-channel and in stopping boats a thousand miles downstream.
The Spell of the RockiesEnos A. Mills
I think the deforestation of the country is probably the cause of these terrible visitations.
The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn, Volume 2Elizabeth Bisland
deforest
- (tr) to clear of treesAlso: disforest
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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 deforestation
deforest
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
deforestation
[dē-fôr′ĭ-stā′shən]
- The cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a forested area. Deforestation can erode soils, contribute to desertification and the pollution of waterways, and decrease biodiversity through the destruction of habitat.
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DeForest
[dĭ-fôr′ĭst]
- American electrical engineer and inventor who is known as "the father of radio." He patented more than 300 inventions, including the triode electron tube, which made it possible to amplify and detect radio waves.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
deforestation
[(dee-fawr-uh-stay-shuhn)]
The process of destroying a forest and replacing it with something else. The term is used today to refer to the destruction of forests by human beings and their replacement by agricultural systems.
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Note
Deforestation is considered to be a main contributor to the greenhouse effect.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.