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Example Sentences
- Boil the cabbage whole in a large pot of water for three to five minutes, or until the leaves turn bright green.
- Seen up close, the whooping crane leaves little doubt that birds are descendants of dinosaurs.
- Its leaves catch and hold raindrops better than any other plant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
1.
one of the expanded, usually green organs borne by the stem of a plant.
2.
any similar or corresponding lateral outgrowth of a stem.
3.
a petal: a rose leaf.
4.
leaves collectively; foliage.
5.
EXPANDBibliography. a unit generally comprising two printed, blank, or illustrated pages of a book, one on each side.
6.
a thin sheet of metal: silver leaf.
7.
a lamina or layer.
8.
a sliding, hinged, or detachable flat part, as of a door or tabletop.
9.
a section of a drawbridge.
10.
a single strip of metal in a leaf spring.
11.
a tooth of a small gear wheel, as of a pinion.
12.
13.
COLLAPSETextiles. shaft (def. 14).
verb (used without object)
14.
to put forth leaves.
15.
to turn pages, especially quickly (usually followed by through): to leaf through a book.
verb (used with object)
Idioms16.
to thumb or turn, as the pages of a book or magazine, in a casual or cursory inspection of the contents.
17.
in leaf, covered with foliage; having leaves: the pale green tint of the woods newly in leaf.
18.
take a leaf out of/from someone's book, to follow someone's example; imitate: Some countries that took a leaf out of American industry's book are now doing very well for themselves.
19.
turn over a new leaf, to begin anew; make a fresh start: Every New Year's we make resolutions to turn over a new leaf.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English leef, lef, Old English lēaf; cognate with Dutch loof, German Laub, Old Norse lauf, Gothic laufs
before 900; Middle English leef, lef, Old English lēaf; cognate with Dutch loof, German Laub, Old Norse lauf, Gothic laufs
Related forms
leaf·less, adjective
leaf·like, adjective
un·leaf, verb (used with object)
un·leaf·like, adjective
verb (used with object)
1.
to go out of or away from, as a place: to leave the house.
2.
to depart from permanently; quit: to leave a job.
3.
to let remain or have remaining behind after going, disappearing, ceasing, etc.: I left my wallet home. The wound left a scar.
4.
to allow to remain in the same place, condition, etc.: Is there any coffee left?
5.
EXPANDto let stay or be as specified: to leave a door unlocked.
6.
to let (a person or animal) remain in a position to do something without interference: We left him to his work.
8.
to give in charge; deposit; entrust: Leave the package with the receptionist. I left my name and phone number.
9.
to stop; cease; give up: He left music to study law.
10.
to disregard; neglect: We will leave this for the moment and concentrate on the major problem.
11.
to give for use after one's death or departure: to leave all one's money to charity.
12.
to have remaining after death: He leaves a wife and three children.
13.
to have as a remainder after subtraction: 2 from 4 leaves 2.
14.
COLLAPSENonstandard. let1 (defs. 1, 2, 6).
verb (used without object)
Verb phrases15.
to go away, depart, or set out: We leave for Europe tomorrow.
16.
leave alone. alone (def. 7).
17.
leave off,
a.
to desist from; cease; stop; abandon.
b.
to stop using or wearing: It had stopped raining, so we left off our coats.
c.
to omit: to leave a name off a list.
18.
leave out, to omit; exclude: She left out an important detail in her account.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English leven, Old English lǣfan (causative formation from base of lāf remainder; see lave2); cognate with Old High German leiban (compare German bleiben to remain), Old Norse leifa, Gothic -laibjan
before 900; Middle English leven, Old English lǣfan (causative formation from base of lāf remainder; see lave2); cognate with Old High German leiban (compare German bleiben to remain), Old Norse leifa, Gothic -laibjan
Related forms
leav·er, noun
Synonyms
1, 2. abandon, forsake, desert; relinquish. 9. forbear, renounce. 10. ignore, forget. 11. bequeath, will; devise, transmit.
1, 2. abandon, forsake, desert; relinquish. 9. forbear, renounce. 10. ignore, forget. 11. bequeath, will; devise, transmit.
Antonyms
1, 2. join.
1, 2. join.
Usage note
Leave is interchangeable with let when followed by alone with the sense “to refrain from annoying or interfering with”: Leave (or Let) her alone and she will solve the problem easily. When he was left (or let) alone without interruptions, the boy quickly assembled the apparatus. The use of leave alone for let alone in the sense “not to mention” is nonstandard: There wasn't any standing room, let (not leave) alone a seat, so I missed the performance.EXPAND
Other substitutions of leave for let are generally regarded as nonstandard: Let (not Leave) us sit down and talk this over. Let (not Leave) her do it her own way. The police wouldn't let (not leave) us cross the barriers. See also let1.
COLLAPSE
Leave is interchangeable with let when followed by alone with the sense “to refrain from annoying or interfering with”: Leave (or Let) her alone and she will solve the problem easily. When he was left (or let) alone without interruptions, the boy quickly assembled the apparatus. The use of leave alone for let alone in the sense “not to mention” is nonstandard: There wasn't any standing room, let (not leave) alone a seat, so I missed the performance.EXPAND
Other substitutions of leave for let are generally regarded as nonstandard: Let (not Leave) us sit down and talk this over. Let (not Leave) her do it her own way. The police wouldn't let (not leave) us cross the barriers. See also let1.
COLLAPSE
noun
1.
permission to do something: to beg leave to go elsewhere.
2.
permission to be absent, as from work or military duty: The firm offers a maternity leave as part of its benefit program.
3.
the time this permission lasts: 30 days' leave.
4.
a parting; departure; farewell: He took his leave before the formal ceremonies began. We took leave of them after dinner.
5.
EXPANDMetallurgy. draft (def. 23).
6.
COLLAPSEBowling. the pin or pins in upright position after the bowl of the first ball.
verb (used without object), leaved, leav·ing.
to put forth leaves; leaf.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To LEAVES
Collins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
leaf
O.E. leaf "leaf of a plant, page of a book," from P.Gmc. *laubaz (cf. O.S. lof, O.N. lauf, O.Fris. laf, Du. loof, O.H.G. loub, Ger. Laub, Goth. lauf), perhaps from PIE *leup- "to peel off, break off" (cf. Lith. luobas, O.C.S. lubu "bark, rind"). Extended 15c. to very thin sheets of metal (esp. gold).
EXPANDMeaning "hinged flap on the side of a table" is from 1550s. The verb meaning "to turn over (the pages of a book)" is from 1660s; the sense of a book page is that in the phrase to turn over a (new) leaf (1570s).
leave
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
leaf  (lēf) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) An appendage growing from the stem of a plant. Leaves are extremely variable in form and function according to species. For example, the needles of pine trees, the spines of cacti, and the bright red parts of the poinsettia plant are all leaves modified for different purposes. However, most leaves are flat and green and adapted to capturing sunlight and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. They consist of an outer tissue layer (the epidermis) through which water and gases are exchanged, a spongy inner layer of cells that contain chloroplasts, and veins that supply water and minerals and carry out food. Some leaves are simple, while others are compound, consisting of multiple leaflets. The flat part of the leaf, the blade, is often attached to the stem by a leafstalk. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
leaf definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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