exfoliate

ex·fo·li·ate
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US/ɛksˈfoʊlieɪt/UK/ɛksˈfəʊlieɪt/

verb

To remove the leaves from a plant.

Similar
defoliateunleaveunleaf
OriginLate Latin exfoliō →
UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

verbexfoliate (third-person singular simple present exfoliates, present participle exfoliating, simple past and past participle exfoliated)

present singular third person exfoliates · participle present exfoliating · participle past exfoliated · past exfoliated

  1. To remove the leaves from a plant.

    Synonyms: defoliate, unleave, unleaf

  2. To remove a layer of dead skin cells, as in cosmetic preparation.
  3. chemistryTo split into scales, especially to become converted into scales as the result of heat or decomposition.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo remove the leaves from a plant.

Similar
defoliateunleaveunleaf

Origin

  1. Late Latinexfoliō“to strip of leaves”
  2. Englishexfoliate

From Late Latin exfoliō (“to strip of leaves”), from ex- (“out of”) + folium (“leaf”); compare effoliate and French exfolier.

More words from Late Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian обезлиствам, лющя
  • обезлиствам (obezlistvam)to remove the leaves of a plant
  • лющя (ljuštja)to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
  • ексфолирам (eksfoliram)to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
Catalan exfoliar
  • exfoliarto remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
Chinese Mandarin 去角質 /去角质
  • 去角質 /去角质 (qùjiǎozhí)to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
Dutch ontbladeren, exfoliëren
  • ontbladerento remove the leaves of a plant
  • exfoliërento remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
French exfolier
  • exfolierto remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
German entblättern
  • entblätternto remove the leaves of a plant
Portuguese exfoliar, esfoliar
  • exfoliarto remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
  • esfoliarto remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
Spanish exfoliar
  • exfoliarto remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
Swedish exfoliera
  • exfolierato remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
Welsh diblisgo
  • diblisgoto remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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