defoliate
Make trees bare
To defoliate is to strip leaves from plants or trees.
The word most often appears in military contexts—Agent Orange was used to defoliate Vietnamese jungles, exposing enemy positions.
Outside warfare, defoliation may be agricultural (preparing cotton for harvest) or accidental (insects defoliating a forest).
The caterpillars had completely defoliated the oak trees by midsummer.
Overhead protective covering
- deciduousSheds foliage seasonally
- leaf litterDecomposing ground debris
- chlorophyllLight-harvesting plant pigment
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
understory · forest · ecosystem · biodiversity · habitat · evergreen · senescence · abscission
Post-summer cooling period
- fallDescend under gravity
- leavesTree's photosynthetic organs
- mapleSap-yielding hardwood tree
- oakQuercus genus member
crimson · amber · gold · rust · leaf drop · dormancy · frost · equinox
Wartime defoliant chemical
- Vietnam WarCold-era Indochina military engagement
- jungle warfareArmed conflict in dense forest
- chemical warfareCombat using toxic substances
- napalmFlammable gel for bombs
counterinsurgency · ecocide · scorched earth · dioxin · guerrilla warfare · aerial spraying · supply routes · Ho Chi Minh Trail
Broad-spectrum systemic herbicide
- weedkillerChemical destroying unwanted plants
- pesticideAgent destroying harmful organisms
- agrochemicalAgricultural chemical product
- paraquatToxic methyl viologen herbicide
desiccant · broad-spectrum · non-selective · toxicity · preharvest · leaf drop · residue
Moth or butterfly young
- locustSwarming crop-eating insect
- gypsy mothInvasive leaf-devouring insect
- Japanese beetleInvasive scarab species
- aphidSap-sucking garden pest
sawfly · infestation · plague · swarm · pest outbreak · blight · disease · fungal infection
canopy
Overhead protective covering
- deciduousSheds foliage seasonally
- leaf litterDecomposing ground debris
- chlorophyllLight-harvesting plant pigment
photosynthesis · understory · forest · ecosystem · biodiversity · habitat · evergreen · senescence · abscission · decomposition
autumn
Post-summer cooling period
oak · crimson · amber · gold · rust · leaf drop · dormancy · frost · equinox · color change
Agent Orange
Wartime defoliant chemical
- Vietnam WarCold-era Indochina military engagement
- jungle warfareArmed conflict in dense forest
- chemical warfareCombat using toxic substances
napalm · counterinsurgency · ecocide · scorched earth · dioxin · guerrilla warfare · aerial spraying · supply routes · Ho Chi Minh Trail · war crime
glyphosate
Broad-spectrum systemic herbicide
- weedkillerChemical destroying unwanted plants
- pesticideAgent destroying harmful organisms
- agrochemicalAgricultural chemical product
paraquat · desiccant · broad-spectrum · non-selective · toxicity · preharvest · leaf drop · residue
caterpillar
Moth or butterfly young
- locustSwarming crop-eating insect
- gypsy mothInvasive leaf-devouring insect
- Japanese beetleInvasive scarab species
aphid · sawfly · infestation · plague · swarm · pest outbreak · blight · disease · fungal infection · crop loss
cotton
Plant fiber for textiles
- leaf removalClearing fallen foliage
- yieldProduce or relinquish
defoliation, defoliant, defoliated, defoliator, defoliants, defoliating, defoliates