defoliant

[ dee-foh-lee-uhnt ]

noun

1. a preparation for defoliating plants.

defoliant

/ diːˈfəʊlɪənt /

noun

1. a chemical sprayed or dusted onto trees to cause their leaves to fall, esp to remove cover from an enemy in warfare

Word History and Origins

Origin of defoliant¹

First recorded in 1940–45; defoli(ate) + -ant

Example Sentences

Over the decades, the U.S. military has conducted numerous programs of breathtaking stupidity: the above-ground nuclear tests of the 1950s that exposed draftees to atomic radiation, dumping thousands of tons of Agent Orange defoliant over Indochina during the 1960s, the toxic burn pits of the Iraq war.

From Salon

When the Bulgarian-born Mr. Popoff was named Dow’s president and chief executive in 1987, the company had begun trying to shed its image as a pugnacious chemical giant that had manufactured napalm and the defoliant Agent Orange for the U.S. military during the Vietnam War; released toxic waste, like dioxins, into the Tittabawassee River from its plant in Midland; and fought the Environmental Protection Agency to prevent flyover inspections of its emissions.

From New York Times

The cause was Parkinson’s disease, which his family said resulted from exposure to Agent Orange, the toxic chemical sprayed by American aircraft as a defoliant in Vietnam.

From New York Times

Some deforestation can be traced back to the Vietnam War, when forests were sprayed with the toxic defoliant known as Agent Orange.

From National Geographic

Parkinson’s disease, an inner ear disorder and other neurological problems, all likely caused by the Vietnam vet’s exposure to the infamous defoliant Agent Orange, made it difficult for him to move.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• fungicide
• insecticide
• pesticide