'leaf-shedding' originates from the combination of 'leaf' and 'shed,' where 'leaf' refers to the foliage of a plant and 'shed' means to cast off or lose.

'Leaf-shedding' evolved from the Old English word 'sceadan,' meaning to divide or separate, combined with 'leaf.'

Initially, it meant 'to cast off leaves,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.