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Glite Dictionary
defoliator

defoliator

1 9.7
An insect or small animal that eats the leaves of plants
  • noun
  • /dɪˈfoʊliˌeɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : defoliador
  • Farmers often try to control defoliators to protect their crops from damage.

Examples

  • The defoliator caused significant damage to the crops.

  • Farmers struggle to control defoliators that threaten their crops each summer.

  • Some defoliator outbreaks can devastate entire ecosystems if not managed quickly.

  • The gypsy moth is a notorious defoliator of oak forests.

  • Farmers are worried about the defoliators in their fields.

  • The caterpillar is a serious defoliator that can strip entire trees of their leaves.

  • Invasive species like the gypsy moth serve as effective defoliators, threatening local vegetation.

Synonyms

defoliant
vsdefoliator
  • Specialized
3 8.4

A chemical sprayed on plants to make their leaves fall off

is an agent that removes foliage by eating rather than by chemical action
leaf beetle
vsdefoliator
6.7

A small brightly colored beetle that eats plant leaves and whose young damage roots and stems

is any agent that removes foliage rather than that one specific insect

How Destructive

defoliator
  • Specialized
1 9.7
pest
68 1.0
herbivore
  • Specialized
9 3.7
leaf insect
  • Indian
6.3

Surface Forms

defoliator singular
defoliators plural

Morphology

defoliator = defoliate (semi-transparent) = de + foli + ate + or

From the verb 'defoliate', the agentive suffix '-or' clearly gives the meaning 'one that defoliates'.

Etymology

Defoliator comes from the parts de- 'remove' and folium 'leaf', and shares its root with the common word foliage. So a defoliator is something, often an insect, that 'removes leaves' from plants.