defoliate
/di'foulieit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To strip the leaves or branches from a plant, tree, or area of vegetation. This is often done deliberately using chemical agents, such as herbicides or pesticides, or by natural causes.
- To cause the loss of leaves.
Adjective:
- Deprived of leaves; leafless. This form is less common and typically used in technical or descriptive contexts.
Usage Examples
Verb:
- The military decided to defoliate the jungle to remove enemy cover.
- A severe drought can defoliate even the hardiest trees.
- The chemical was used to defoliate the cotton plants before harvest.
Adjective:
- The defoliate branches stood stark against the winter sky. (Note: "defoliated" is more commonly used as the adjective form.)
Advanced Usage
- "to defoliate an area": Refers to the large-scale removal of leaves from all plants in a specific region, often for agricultural, military, or environmental management purposes.
- The program aimed to defoliate large areas to control the spread of the insect pest.
Variants and Related Words
Defoliation (n): The process or result of being defoliated.
- The defoliation of the forest was visible from the air.
Defoliant (n): A chemical agent used to defoliate plants.
- Agent Orange is a notorious defoliant used during the Vietnam War.
Defoliated (adj): The more standard adjectival form meaning "having lost its leaves."
- The defoliated landscape looked barren.
Synonyms
- Denude: To strip of covering, often used in geological or ecological contexts.
- Strip: To remove a covering or layer.
- Desiccate: To dry up thoroughly, which can lead to defoliation.
Antonyms
- Foliage: Plant leaves collectively.
- Leafy: Having many leaves.
- Afforest: To convert land into forest, the opposite process of creating a defoliated area.
Adjective
- deprived of leaves
Verb
- strip the leaves or branches from
- defoliate the trees with pesticides