Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'defoliate'

English Word: defoliate

Key Russian Translations:

• обезлистить [ɐbʲɪzˈlʲistʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, Technical]
• лишить листвы [lʲiˈʂɨtʲ lʲɪstˈvɨ] - [Neutral, Descriptive]

Frequency: Low (Rarely used in everyday conversation, more common in specific contexts like botany or military terminology)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for both translations due to specific usage and technical nature

Pronunciation (Russian):

обезлистить: [ɐbʲɪzˈlʲistʲɪtʲ]

Note on обезлистить: Stress falls on the third syllable ("лист"). The prefix "обез-" can be tricky for non-native speakers to pronounce smoothly with the following consonant cluster.

лишить листвы: [lʲiˈʂɨtʲ lʲɪstˈvɨ]

Note on лишить листвы: Two-word phrase; stress on the first syllable of "лишить" and second syllable of "листвы". Ensure clear separation between words.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To remove leaves from a plant or tree (Botanical Context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• обезлистить - Used in formal or scientific contexts, often referring to deliberate removal of leaves (e.g., by chemicals or natural causes).
• лишить листвы - More descriptive and neutral, can be used in general or literary contexts to describe loss of foliage.

Usage Examples:

• Химикаты могут обезлистить деревья за несколько дней.

  Chemicals can defoliate trees within a few days.

• Осенний ветер лишил деревья листвы.

  The autumn wind stripped the trees of their foliage.

• Этот препарат специально разработан, чтобы обезлистить кустарники.

  This agent is specifically designed to defoliate shrubs.

• После пожара лес был полностью лишен листвы.

  After the fire, the forest was completely stripped of foliage.

• Ученые изучают, как обезлистить растения без вреда для экосистемы.

  Scientists are studying how to defoliate plants without harming the ecosystem.

2. To cause loss of vegetation (Military or Environmental Context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• обезлистить - Commonly used in military contexts, especially referring to defoliation caused by herbicides during warfare.

Usage Examples:

• Во время войны они обезлистили целые джунгли.

  During the war, they defoliated entire jungles.

• Использование химикатов для обезлищивания территорий вызвало экологический кризис.

  The use of chemicals for defoliation of territories caused an ecological crisis.

• Армия применила агенты, чтобы обезлистить зону боевых действий.

  The army used agents to defoliate the combat zone.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

обезлистить (Verb, Perfective Aspect):

This is a perfective verb, indicating a completed action. It follows regular conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -ить.

лишить листвы (Phrase with Verb + Noun):

"лишить" is a perfective verb, and "листвы" is the genitive form of "листва" (foliage). The noun "листва" declines as a regular feminine noun.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for обезлистить:

• оголить (to bare, often used for trees or branches)
• лишить зелени (to deprive of greenery, less common)

Note: "оголить" is broader and can refer to exposing anything, while "обезлистить" is more specific to leaves.

Antonyms for обезлистить:

• озеленить (to green, to plant with foliage)

Related Phrases:

• обезлистить лес химикатами - to defoliate a forest with chemicals (common in environmental or military contexts)
• лишить деревья листвы ветром - to strip trees of foliage by wind (natural context)

Usage Notes:

• "обезлистить" is more technical and often implies an intentional or chemical process, making it suitable for scientific or military contexts.
• "лишить листвы" is a more general phrase, often used in natural or descriptive settings, and can be applied to both intentional and unintentional defoliation.
• Both terms are perfective, indicating a completed action. If describing an ongoing process, other verbs or phrases might be needed.

Common Errors:

Error 1: Confusing "обезлистить" with "оголить"

Learners often use "оголить" (to bare) when they mean "обезлистить". While "оголить" can mean stripping something bare, it is less specific to leaves. For example:

• Wrong: Химикаты оголили деревья. (Chemicals bared the trees - too vague)
• Correct: Химикаты обезлистили деревья. (Chemicals defoliated the trees)

Error 2: Incorrect case usage with "лишить листвы"

Learners might use the wrong case for "листва". It must be in the genitive case ("листвы") after "лишить". Example:

• Wrong: Ветер лишил деревья листва. (Incorrect case)
• Correct: Ветер лишил деревья листвы.

Cultural Notes:

The concept of defoliation, especially through chemical means, may evoke historical associations in Russian-speaking contexts due to the use of defoliants in warfare (e.g., during the Vietnam War, which was widely discussed in Soviet media). Using "обезлистить" in a military context might carry these connotations.

Related Concepts:

• озеленение (greening, afforestation)
• вырубка леса (deforestation)
• химическая обработка (chemical treatment)