de·for·est

[dee-fawr-ist, -for-]
verb (used with object)
to divest or clear of forests or trees: Poor planning deforested the area in ten years.

Origin:
1530–40; de- + forest

de·for·est·a·tion, noun
de·for·est·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
deforest (diːˈfɒrɪst) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
(tr) Also: disforest to clear of trees
 
defores'tation
 
n
 
de'forester
 
n

00:10
Deforestation is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
deforest (diːˈfɒrɪst) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
(tr) Also: disforest to clear of trees
 
defores'tation
 
n
 
de'forester
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

deforestation
1884, from de- + forest. Earlier in this sense was deforesting (1530s).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
DeForest   (dĭ-fôr'ĭst)  Pronunciation Key 
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   (dē-fôr'ĭ-stā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
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.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

deforestation definition

programming
A technique invented by Phil Wadler for eliminating intermediate data structures built and passed between composed functions in function languages.
(1997-06-21)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
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Example sentences
Cutting down trees to fire primitive cook stoves is also a cause of
  deforestation.
Other problems include illicit cultivation of marijuana and heavy deforestation.
There was progress around the edges on a climate fund and deforestation.
Yet many environmentalists fear that such deforestation is a harbinger of
  things to come.
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