'deforest' originates from French, specifically the word 'déforester,' where 'dé-' meant 'remove' and 'forest' meant 'forest'.

'déforester' transformed into the English word 'deforest' and eventually became the modern English word 'deforest'.

Initially, it meant 'to remove trees from a forested area,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.