deforest

[dee-fawr-ist, -for-]

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verb (used with object)

to divest or clear of forests or trees: Poor planning deforested the area in ten years.

Origin of deforest

First recorded in 1530–40; de- + forest

Related formsde·for·est·a·tion, nounde·for·est·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for deforestation

erosion, desertification, logging

Examples from the Web for deforestation

Contemporary Examples of deforestation

Washington excused its employment on the grounds that U.S. forces used it for purposes of “deforestation” and not against people.
Leslie H. Gelb: Obama Is Right on Chemical Warfare in Syria
Leslie H. Gelb
April 28, 2013
By June, deforestation in the rainforest region had dropped to a 23-year low, and is down 75 percent just since 2004.
The New Gold Rush
Mac Margolis
August 19, 2011
Brazil is the fourth-largest greenhouse-gas emitter in the world, largely due to the deforestation of the Amazon.
The Climate Showdown
The Daily Beast
December 4, 2009
My father always seemed to be traveling to some exotic place to raise awareness on deforestation issues and species protection.
Newsom's California Dream
Matthew Dakotah
October 7, 2009
There has been a big advance in the last year with the deforestation agenda.
Why Obama Can't Wait on Climate
Matthew Dakotah
September 21, 2009

Historical Examples of deforestation

This deforestation is still going on; dead or dying trees fringe the timber still standing.
Archeological Investigations
Gerard Fowke
Deforestation may result in filling a river-channel and in stopping boats a thousand miles downstream.
The Spell of the Rockies
Enos 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 2
Elizabeth Bisland

British Dictionary definitions for deforestation

deforest

verb

(tr) to clear of treesAlso: disforest

Derived Formsdeforestation, noundeforester, 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

Word Origin and History for deforestation

1884, from deforest + -ation. Earlier was deforesting (1530s) which was a legal term for the change in definition of a parcel of land from "forest" to something else.

deforest

1880 in modern sense, from de- + forest. Related: Deforested; deforesting. Disforest in the sense "to clear of trees" is from 1660s. Disafforest is attested in this sense from 1842; originally it meant "reduce from the legal status of a forest" (1590s).

deforestation in Science

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.

DeForest

[dĭ-fôr′ĭst]Lee 1873-1961

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.

deforestation in Culture

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.

Note

Deforestation is considered to be a main contributor to the greenhouse effect.