Settle an argument. I wrote a post to a group in which I participate in which I reported that the maple trees outside my window are deciduating at a great rate. Several of the wags in the group challenged the existence of the verb deciduate. I assumed a straight face and responded that it descended from the Latin "deciduare" meaning to lose one's leaves. This, of course, I made up out of whole cloth. But isn't there such a word and, if not, shouldn't there be?

strangely enough, when I orient myself around it, I like it. just may use it today...

OED:

Deciduate. adj.,

a. Possessing a decidua; belonging to the Deciduata.

b. Of the nature of a decidua: said of a placenta which is cast off at parturition.

Hey, I do pretty good at making stuff up! Thank you, Fal.

I don't find any deciduo, -are but I do see decido, -ere, fall down, fall off, die.

From the title of your post, Father Steve, I guessed "losing leaves." So it is a great word, IMHO!

Thank you, Anna. I tried it out on some people at church this morning and every one of them knew what I/it meant. That's a pretty fair test for a proposed word.

every one of them knew what I/it meant

I can hardly wait for it to show up on the TVRWorstWords list (http://www.vocabula.com/VRworstwords.htm). In fact, if it doesn't show up within the week I shall submit it myself:

"Oh what a horror that this perfectly good adjective, of which not one in a thousand of us would know the meaning much less have need, has been ruthlessly verbed and dragged from its pristine meaning into one of a completely unrelated field and, what is worse, be given a meaning that is instantly understandable and eminently useful."