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exfoliate

verb

  1. to peel off in concentric layers
  2. to shed bark, or leaves
  3. to remove dead skin
  4. to separate layered materials into nanomaterials
  5. remove a layer (as of skin)
L331651 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ɛksˈfoʊlieɪt/ / /ɛksˈfəʊlieɪt/

verb

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

  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.