flake vs exfoliation

flake and exfoliation both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
flake	Yes	No	Yes	No
exfoliation	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, exfoliation is a hyponym of flake; that is, exfoliation is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than flake:

flake: a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
exfoliation: a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin

Other hyponyms of flake include matchwood, scale, scurf, scurf, sliver, splinter.

flake (noun)	exfoliation (noun)
a small fragment of something broken off from the whole	a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin
a person with an unusual or odd personality	the peeling off in flakes or scales of bark or dead skin
a crystal of snow

flake (verb)	exfoliation (verb)
come off in flakes or thin small pieces
cover with flakes or as if with flakes
form into flakes