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defoliate

/di'foulieit/
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Word: Defoliate

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: To defoliate means to remove leaves from a plant or tree. This can happen naturally (like in autumn) or through human action, often using chemicals or pesticides.

Usage Instructions:
  • When to use: You can use "defoliate" when talking about plants, trees, or agricultural practices. It is often used in environmental science, gardening, or agriculture discussions.
  • How to use: It can be used in sentences to describe the action of stripping leaves.
Example Sentence:
  • "Farmers sometimes use chemicals to defoliate the cotton plants before harvest."
Advanced Usage:
  • In environmental discussions, "defoliate" can refer to the effects of certain pesticides or herbicides used in farming, which can harm ecosystems.
  • "Defoliation" is the noun form of the verb and refers to the state of being without leaves or the process of removing leaves.
Word Variants:
  • Defoliation (noun): The act or process of removing leaves.
  • Defoliant (noun): A chemical that causes defoliation.
Different Meanings:
  • The term primarily relates to plants, but in a broader sense, it can also refer to the removal of foliage from any surface, such as in landscaping or military operations, where foliage is removed for visibility or tactical reasons.
Synonyms:
  • Strip (the leaves from)
  • Remove (leaves)
  • Clear (foliage)
Related Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:
  • There are no widely recognized idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "defoliate," but you might come across phrases like "shed leaves" or "drop foliage," which refer to the natural process of losing leaves.
Summary:

"Defoliate" is a verb that means to remove leaves from a plant or tree, often for agricultural purposes. It can also refer to the natural process of losing leaves.

Adjective
  1. deprived of leaves
Verb
  1. strip the leaves or branches from
    • defoliate the trees with pesticides

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