deforest

D2E1F4O1R1E1S1T1
UK/dɪˈfɒɹɪst/

verb

To clear (an area) of forest.

Similar
disforestdisafforest
OriginEnglish forest ← Latin dē- ← Proto-Italic *dē →
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

deforest1

verbdeforest (third-person singular simple present deforests, present participle deforesting, simple past and past participle deforested)

present singular third person deforests · participle present deforesting · participle past deforested · past deforested

  1. transitiveTo clear (an area) of forest.
  2. archaictransitivelawTo disafforest (remove legal status as forest).

DeForest2

proper nounDeForest (plural DeForests)

plural DeForests · alternative Deforest · alternative deForest · alternative De Forest · alternative de Forest · alternative Forest · alternative Deforet · alternative deForet · alternative DeForet · alternative De Foret · alternative de Foret · alternative Foret

  1. A surname from French, equivalent to English Forest or Woods, equivalent to the modern French surname Deforet.
  2. A male given name transferred from the surname, equivalent to English Forest.

Deforest3

proper nounDeforest (plural Deforests)

plural Deforests

  1. alternativeAlternative form of DeForest.

deForest4

proper noundeForest (plural deForests)

plural deForests

  1. alternativeAlternative form of DeForest.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbremove the trees from

Similar
disforestdisafforest
Broader
clear
Also see
disafforestdisforest

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

deforest · verb

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Englishde-
  7. Englishforest
  8. Englishdeforest

From de- + forest.

Full word history & related roots →

DeForest · proper noun

Rare French surname, from de (“from”) + forest. Compare Deforrest, Defrees, Defreest.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan desboscar, desforestar
  • desboscarto clear an area of forest
  • desforestarto clear an area of forest
Danish rydde for skov, afskove
  • rydde for skovto clear an area of forest
  • afskoveto clear an area of forest
Dutch ontbossen
  • ontbossento clear an area of forest
Esperanto senarbarigi
  • senarbarigito clear an area of forest
Finnish kaataa metsää, poistaa metsää
  • kaataa metsääto clear an area of forest
  • poistaa metsääto clear an area of forest
  • hävittää metsääto clear an area of forest
French déboiser, déforester
  • déboiserto clear an area of forest
  • déforesterto clear an area of forest
German entwalden
  • entwaldento clear an area of forest
Latin deforēstō
  • deforēstōto clear an area of forest
Norwegian Bokmål avskoge
  • avskogeto clear an area of forest
Polish wylesiać, wylesić
  • wylesiaćto clear an area of forest
  • wylesićto clear an area of forest
Portuguese desflorestar, deflorestar
  • desflorestarto clear an area of forest
  • deflorestarto clear an area of forest
Russian обезле́сить
  • обезле́сить (obezlésitʹ)to clear an area of forest
Spanish deforestar, clarear
  • deforestarto clear an area of forest
  • clarearto clear an area of forest
Swedish avskoga, skövla
  • avskogato clear an area of forest
  • skövlato clear an area of forest
Turkish ormansızlaştırmak
  • ormansızlaştırmakto clear an area of forest
Vietnamese phá rừng
  • phá rừngto clear an area of forest

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

forested
Cite this entry
APA

deforest. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deforest

MLA

“deforest.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deforest. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deforest,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deforest.

Source: deforest on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.