defoliate

Definitions

de- (off, away) + foli (leaf) + -ate (verb) = 'to take the leaves off.' Whatever does it — a storm, an insect, or a chemical — the result is the same: a plant left bare of leaves.

Why It Means This

The word covers both natural and deliberate stripping: storms and pests can defoliate trees, but it most often appears in military and agricultural contexts where chemicals are sprayed to remove leaves — for example, defoliating jungle to expose enemy positions. This wartime use is why the related noun defoliant is so loaded.

Common Collocations

• 1.defoliate a forest使森林落叶
• 2.defoliate trees使树木落叶
• 3.defoliate crops使作物落叶

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The caterpillars can completely defoliate an oak tree in days.

• 2.

  Chemicals were used to defoliate the forest during the war.

• 3.

  A severe drought defoliated much of the orchard.