剥离 (bō lí) literally means 'to peel off and depart', combining 剥 (bō), meaning 'to peel, strip, or remove a layer', and 离 (lí), meaning 'to separate or depart'. It describes the physical or conceptual act of removing one part from another — especially when that part is closely attached, layered, or embedded. Unlike general words for 'separate' like 分离, 剥离 emphasizes a deliberate, often careful or technical process of detachment, such as peeling skin from tissue, extracting data from a system, or disentangling identity from external labels.

The term is widely used in medicine (e.g., tumor removal), engineering (e.g., separating composite materials), finance (e.g., spinning off subsidiaries), and social discourse (e.g., detaching self-worth from societal expectations). It carries a neutral-to-formal register and rarely appears in casual speech. While it can describe physical actions, its abstract uses — especially in professional or academic contexts — are increasingly common among educated speakers.