écorcer

Senses

1. 1.

   to bark (a tree); to strip bark from

   Remove or strip the bark from a tree trunk or branch

2. 2.

   to skin; to graze

   Scrape or remove the outer skin or surface layer of something

Examples

• "Les ouvriers ont écorcé les arbres pour faire du liège."

  The workers barked the trees to make cork.

• "L'enfant s'est écorcé le genou en tombant."

  The child grazed their knee falling down.

• "Il faut écorcer les branches avant de les utiliser pour le tissage."

  You have to strip the bark from branches before using them for weaving.

Usage

This is a relatively formal or technical verb, more common in forestry, woodworking, and botanical contexts than in everyday speech. The pronominal form "s'écorcer" often means to scrape or graze one's skin. Not to be confused with the noun "écorce" (bark).