Defoliate
/diːˈfoʊ.li.eɪt/noun
To strip leaves from a plant or tree.
Did you know?Defoliate comes from Latin folium, “leaf,” the same ancient root behind folio and foliage, so the word’s core image is literally a removal of leaves.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰel-
“to blow, swell, flourish”
Latin
Latin
folium
“leaf”
Late Latin
Latin
defoliare
“to strip leaves from”
16th Century
English
defoliate
“to strip leaves from a plant”
Modern English
English
defoliate
“to remove the leaves from a plant or tree”
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