A defoliant is a chemical used on trees and plants to make all their leaves fall off. Defoliantsare especially used in war to remove protection from an enemy.
defoliant in British English
(diːˈfəʊlɪənt)
noun
a chemical sprayed or dusted onto trees to cause their leaves to fall, esp to remove cover from an enemy in warfare
defoliant in American English
(diˈfoʊliənt)
US
noun
a chemical substance that causes leaves to fall from growing plants
Examples of 'defoliant' in a sentence
defoliant
It was as if her past had been sprayed with defoliant, withering before her eyes to a shrivelled meaningless husk.