exfoliate

verb

ex·​fo·​li·​ate (ˌ)eks-ˈfō-lē-ˌāt 

exfoliated; exfoliating

transitive verb

1

: to cast off in scales, laminae, or splinters

2

: to remove the surface of in scales or laminae

3

: to spread or extend by or as if by opening out leaves

intransitive verb

1

: to split into or give off scales, laminae, or body cells

2

: to come off in thin layers or scales

3

: to grow by or as if by producing or unfolding leaves

exfoliation

(ˌ)eks-ˌfō-lē-ˈā-shən 

noun

exfoliative

eks-ˈfō-lē-ˌā-tiv 

adjective

Synonyms

• molt
• shed
• slip
• slough
• sluff

Examples of exfoliate in a Sentence

a soap that promises to help me exfoliate all that dry, flaky skin I've apparently been carrying around

Recent Examples on the Web

Jijo Malayil 10 days ago 0 Science World’s thinnest wire made of copper, carbon atoms stable at 0 Kelvin The team used computational tools to identify and exfoliate 1D materials from a vast database of 3D crystals. —Interesting Engineering, 24 June 2024

Bonus: Salicylic acid also exfoliates and clears out your pores. —Sara Coughlin, SELF, 20 June 2024

This toner minimizes pores while gently exfoliating away dead skin and bacteria. —Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2024

The brand, known for modernizing Ayurvedic beauty rituals via offerings like its exfoliating PritiPolish and PaviPure detox mask, purports to have quadrupled its sales growth in 2023 versus 2022. —Noor Lobad, WWD, 18 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin exfoliatus, past participle of exfoliare to strip of leaves, from Latin ex- + folium leaf — more at blade

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Medical Definition

exfoliate

verb

ex·​fo·​li·​ate -ˈfō-lē-ˌāt 

exfoliated; exfoliating

transitive verb

1

: to cast off in scales or laminae

2

: to remove the surface of in scales or laminae

3

: to shed (teeth) by exfoliation

intransitive verb

1

: to split into or give off scales, laminae, or body cells

2

: to come off in thin layers or scales : scale off