EXFOLIATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does exfoliate mean? 

• EXFOLIATE (verb)
  The verb EXFOLIATE has 5 senses:

1. spread by opening the leaves of

2. cast off in scales, laminae, or splinters

3. remove the surface, in scales or laminae

4. come off in a very thin piece

5. grow by producing or unfolding leaves

  Familiarity information: EXFOLIATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXFOLIATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they exfoliate    ... he / she / it exfoliates   
Past simple: exfoliated   
Past participle: exfoliated   
-ing form: exfoliating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Spread by opening the leaves of

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "exfoliate" is one way to...):

open; spread; spread out; unfold (spread out or open from a closed or folded state)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cast off in scales, laminae, or splinters

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "exfoliate" is one way to...):

cast; cast off; drop; shake off; shed; throw; throw away; throw off (get rid of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

exfoliation (a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin)

exfoliation (the peeling off in flakes or scales of bark or dead skin)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Remove the surface, in scales or laminae

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "exfoliate" is one way to...):

peel off (peel off the outer layer of something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

exfoliation (a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin)

exfoliation (the peeling off in flakes or scales of bark or dead skin)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Come off in a very thin piece

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "exfoliate" is one way to...):

break away; break off; chip; chip off; come off (break off (a piece from a whole))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

exfoliation (a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin)

exfoliation (the peeling off in flakes or scales of bark or dead skin)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Grow by producing or unfolding leaves

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

plants exfoliate

Hypernyms (to "exfoliate" is one way to...):

grow (increase in size by natural process)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

 Context examples 

Similar to graphene – a two-dimensional form of carbon – FePS3 can be ‘exfoliated’ into ultra-thin layers.

(‘Magnetic graphene’ switches between insulator and conductor, University of Cambridge)