v.
Pronunciation: ( ˌ )eks- ' f ō -l ē - ˌ ā t
Function: verb
Inflected Form: -at · ed ; -at · ing
Etymology: Late Latin exfoliatus, past participle of exfoliare to strip of leaves, from Latin ex- + folium leaf ― more at BLADE
Date: 1612
transitive verb
1 : to cast off in scales, laminae, or splinters
2 : to remove the surface of in scales or laminae
3 : to spread or extend by or as if by opening out leaves
intransitive verb
1 : to split into or give off scales, laminae, or body cells
2 : to come off in thin layers or scales
3 : to grow by or as if by producing or unfolding leaves
– ex · fo · li · a · tion \ ( ˌ )eks- ˌ f ō -l ē - ' ā -sh ə n \ noun
– ex · fo · li · a · tive \ eks- ' f ō -l ē - ˌ ā -tiv \ adjective