Word Study
defoliate
OXFORD DICTIONARY
defoliate, v.tr. remove leaves from, esp. as a military tactic.
Derivative
defoliant n. & adj. defoliation n. defoliator n.
Etymology
LL defoliare f. folium leaf
THESAURUS
defoliate
denude, dismember, draw and quarter, flay, lacerate, maim, mangle, mutilate, peel, pick to pieces, pull apart, shred, skin, strip, take apart, tear apart, tear to pieces, tear to tattersFor further exploring for "defoliate" in Webster Dictionary Online