Defoliation
/ˌdiːˌfoʊ.liˈeɪ.ʃən/noun
The removal or loss of leaves from a plant or tree.
Did you know?Its core comes from Latin folium, “leaf,” the same ancient root behind words like foliage and trefoil—proof that even a “scientific” word can carry the image of something being leaf-stripped.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
folium
“leaf”
Latin
Latin
defoliare
“to strip leaves from; to remove foliage”
Late Latin
Latin
defoliatio
“a stripping of leaves”
17th Century
English
defoliation
“the act or process of stripping leaves from plants or trees”
Modern English
English
defoliation
“the removal or loss of leaves from a plant or tree”