the process of removing or stripping away small shoots, sprouts, or budding growth from a plant or organism.
From Latin 'de-' (away) plus 'pullulare' (to sprout or bud), plus '-tion' (forming nouns of action). This botanical term follows classical Latin patterns for creating agricultural vocabulary.
This agricultural term shows how Renaissance and medieval gardeners had incredibly specific vocabulary—they could describe dozens of plant operations that modern English speakers might just call 'trimming' or 'pruning'!
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