Dictionary

exfoliate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɛksˈfoʊlieɪt/ (General-American)
• /ɛksˈfəʊlieɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

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

Meanings

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

Forms

Deriveds

exfoliant · exfoliator · exfoliating · exfoliable · foliation · foliate · exfoliation · exfoliatin · overexfoliate · exfoliative · unexfoliated

Synonyms

unleave · defoliate · unleaf

Translations (15)

cy diblisgo (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation) · bg обезлиствам (to remove the leaves of a plant) · fr exfolier (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation) · ca exfoliar (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation) · nl ontbladeren (to remove the leaves of a plant) · gl esfollar (to remove the leaves of a plant) · de entblättern (to remove the leaves of a plant) · nl exfoliëren (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation) · es exfoliar (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation) · sv exfoliera (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation) · pt exfoliar (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation) · pt esfoliar (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation) · bg ексфолирам (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation) · cmn 去角質 /去角质 (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation) · bg лющя (to remove a layer of skin, as in cosmetic preparation)