denudation

[den-yoo-dey-shuhn, dee-noo-, -nyoo-]

noun

1. the act of denuding.

2. the state of being denuded.

3. Geology.,  the exposing or laying bare of rock by erosive processes.

Other Word Forms

• denudational adjective
• denudative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of denudation¹

1575–85; < Late Latin dēnūdātiōn- (stem of dēnūdātiō ), equivalent to Latin dēnūdāt ( us ) ( denudate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

To say that any complete denudation of the writer occurs in the successful work is, according to me, a romantic exaggeration.

Read more on The New Yorker

The denudations look like cow paths cut through sage brush — invasive affronts on the landscape.

Read more on New York Times

Weathering intensity data further indicate that soil chemical denudation rates increase proportionally with erosion rates.

Read more on Science Magazine

Physical weathering must be specified every time as well as chemical weathering and, in the first case, terms such as “mechanical erosion” or “physical denudation” would be preferable.

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And if there is a desire to make amends for the drought, we have what we call a flood and blame it on the weather instead of on our precipitous denudation of the watersheds.

Read more on Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• disclosure 
• hazard 
• liability 
• publicity 
• risk 
• vulnerability