exfoliate

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

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɛksˈfoʊlieɪt/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɛksˈfəʊlieɪt/

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• Hyphenation: ex‧fo‧li‧ate

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

1. To remove the leaves from a plant.
2. To remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation.
3. (mineralogy) To split into scales, especially to become converted into scales as the result of heat or decomposition.

exfōliāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of exfōliō