defoliate
adjEtymology From de- + foliate.
1
Deprived of leaves; defoliated.
defoliate
verbUK /diːˈfəʊliː(j)eɪt/
Etymology From de- + foliate.
1
To remove foliage from (one or more plants), most often with a chemical agent.
- Agent Orange was used to defoliate jungle vegetation.
- These leaves are the moth’s only source of food, and if left unchecked, the caterpillars can completely defoliate a single mighty tree.2020, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, →ISBN, page 2:
- Derived terms
- defoliant, defoliation, defoliator, nondefoliating