Having had the bark, husk, cortex, or outer layer removed; stripped of outer covering.
Past participle of decorticate. This adjective form preserves the -ed suffix used for past participles and adjectives in English.
Medical terminology often uses past participles as adjectives—'decorticated' sounds more clinical and precise than 'stripped,' which is why you'll see it in medical journals. This linguistic choice actually affects how we perceive medical procedures, making them sound more technical and therefore perhaps more legitimate.
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