defoliate
Use Defoliate in a sentence
de·fo·li·ate
[v. dee-foh-lee-eyt; adj. dee-foh-lee-it, -eyt] verb, de·fo·li·at·ed, de·fo·li·at·ing, adjective 
liˌeɪt; verb (used with object)
1.
to strip (a tree, bush, etc.) of leaves.
2.
to destroy or cause widespread loss of leaves in (an area of jungle, forest, etc.), as by using chemical sprays or incendiary bombs, in order to deprive enemy troops or guerrilla forces of concealment.
verb (used without object)
3.
to lose leaves.
adjective
4.
(of a tree) having lost its leaves, especially by a natural process.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To defoliate
Collins
World English Dictionary
| defoliate | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to deprive (a plant) of its leaves, as by the use of a herbicide, or (of a plant) to shed its leaves |
| —adj | |
| 2. | (of a plant) having shed its leaves |
| [C18: from Medieval Latin dēfoliāre, from Latin | |
| defoli'ation | |
| —n | |
| de'foliator | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Defoliate
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
Etymonline
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
While tent caterpillars can nearly defoliate a tree when numerous, the tree will usually recover and put out new leaves.
When they are abundant, leafrollers can defoliate fruit trees completely.
Caterpillars can occasionally defoliate the plants severely.
When abundant, caterpillars can completely defoliate trees.
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