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View synonyms for defoliant

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of defoliant1

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

“Damnation Spring,” by Ash DavidsonAn experienced logger and his young wife in Northern California suspect a defoliant being used to clear brush is poisoning their community.

It was also the largest producer of the notorious Agent Orange, a dioxin-based defoliant used to clear forests during the Vietnam War, dubbed “the Darth Vader of toxic chemicals,” because it lays waste to so many biological systems in the body.

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defoggerdefoliate