defoliate

/diˌfoʊliˈeɪt/

Other forms: defoliated; defoliating; defoliates

Defoliate means to take the leaves or branches off of a tree or bush. When your mom asks you to defoliate the rose bushes, she wants you to trim them back.

In defoliate you see part of the word foliage, which means “leaves.” When your family takes a trip to Vermont to look at the foliage, you’re going leaf peeping. If the trees of Vermont are defoliated, there'll be nothing to look at on your leaf peeping trip except the poor quality black and white television in your motel room. The adjective defoliated describes a tree or bush that has had its leaves stripped.

Definitions of defoliate

1. adjective

   deprived of leaves
   synonyms: defoliated

   leafless

   having no leaves
2. verb

   strip the leaves or branches from
   “defoliate the trees with pesticides”

   type of:

   bare, denudate, denude, strip

   lay bare