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defoliate

Syllabification: (de·fo·li·ate)
Pronunciation: /dēˈfōlēˌāt/
Definition of defoliate

verb

[with object]
  • remove leaves from (a tree, plant, or area of land), for agricultural purposes or as a military tactic:the area was defoliated and napalmed many times

Derivatives

defoliation

Pronunciation: /dēˌfōlēˈāSHən/
noun

Origin:

late 18th century: from late Latin defoliat- 'stripped of leaves', from the verb defoliare, from de- (expressing removal) + folium 'leaf'

defoliate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of defoliate in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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