EXFOLIATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does exfoliation mean? 

• EXFOLIATION (noun)
  The noun EXFOLIATION has 2 senses:

1. the peeling off in flakes or scales of bark or dead skin

2. a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin

  Familiarity information: EXFOLIATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXFOLIATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The peeling off in flakes or scales of bark or dead skin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Context example:

exfoliation is increased by sunburn

Hypernyms ("exfoliation" is a kind of...):

organic phenomenon ((biology) a natural phenomenon involving living plants and animals)

Derivation:

exfoliate (come off in a very thin piece)

exfoliate (remove the surface, in scales or laminae)

exfoliate (cast off in scales, laminae, or splinters)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

exfoliation; scale; scurf

Hypernyms ("exfoliation" is a kind of...):

bit; chip; flake; fleck; scrap (a small fragment of something broken off from the whole)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "exfoliation"):

dander (small scales from animal skins or hair or bird feathers that can cause allergic reactions in some people)

dandruff (loose scales shed from the scalp)

Derivation:

exfoliate (come off in a very thin piece)

exfoliate (remove the surface, in scales or laminae)

exfoliate (cast off in scales, laminae, or splinters)

 Context examples 

A disorder characterized by generalized inflammatory erythema and exfoliation.

(Erythroderma, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

By performing liquid-phase exfoliation of graphite – a process that creates graphene – in the presence of titania nanoparticles, using only water and atmospheric pressure, the scientists created the new graphene-titania nanocomposite.

(Smog-eating graphene composite reduces atmospheric pollution, University of Cambridge)