decorticate

Definition

To peel or remove the bark, husk, or outer layer from something.

Etymology

The verb is first attested in 1611, the adjective in 1872; borrowed from Latin dēcorticātus, perfect passive participle of dēcorticō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from dē- (“of, from”) + cortex (“bark”, oblique stem in cortic-) + -ō.

Example Sentences

• "[…] but its striking white trunk, which changes to a bright pink in late spring or summer just before it decorticates, makes it a handsome species."

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