Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Loss of leaves, as by the depredations of insects; specifically, the fall of leaves in autumn.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The separation of ripened leaves from a branch or stem; the falling or shedding of the leaves.
  • noun the act or process of causing plants to lose their leaves, especially by application of a chemical agent.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The separation of ripened leaves from a branch or stem; the falling or shedding of the leaves.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun causing the leaves of trees and other plants to fall off (as by the use of chemicals)
  • noun the loss of foliage

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

defoliate +‎ -ion

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Examples

  • · the concentration and type of phenolic compound both vary with season and in response to stimuli such as defoliation;

    Chapter 2 1994

  • The defoliation of some garden plants is a small price to pay for pictures of visits such as these.

    Muley Fawns Too Cute for Field & Stream? 2009

  • A few years ago, the USDA let loose thousands of leaf-eating Asian beetles in order to sic them on tamarisks, which die from the defoliation ...

    What's Your Favorite Invasive Species? 2009

  • A few years ago, the USDA let loose thousands of leaf-eating Asian beetles in order to sic them on tamarisks, which die from the defoliation ...

    Uncategorized Blog Posts 2009

  • That was followed by two C-123 defoliation planes which sprayed Agent Orange in a circle around the base to the depth of one mile.

    Babies Terence Cannon 2011

  • The defoliation of some garden plants is a small price to pay for pictures of visits such as these.

    Muley Fawns Too Cute for Field & Stream? 2009

  • Extensive mortality among sugar maples in Pennsylvania appears to have resulted from deficiencies of base cations, coupled with other stresses such as insect defoliation or drought.

    Acid rain 2010

  • The same cultivation techniques are used: pruning, root reduction, potting, defoliation and grafting to produce small trees and shrubs that mimic the shape and style of mature, full-size plants.

    Green Scene: A Japanese garden's natural serenity 2010

  • When he was working on his Nobel Prize for bringing "peace with honor" to Vietnam, godfather of Globalism Henry Kissinger ordered the bombing and defoliation of large sectors of Southeast Asia.

    Memo to Starbucks Fans: Global Warming Is Driving Up Coffee Prices 2010

  • According to research studies, the probability of the loss of sugar maple crown vigor or the incidence of tree death increased on sites where supplies of calcium and magnesium in the soil and foliage were the lowest and stress from insect defoliation and/or drought was high.

    Acid rain 2010

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