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leafless

 - 5 dictionary results

leaf

  [leef] noun, plural leaves  [leevz] , verb
Use leafless in a Sentence
–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. Bibliography. 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. leaf fat.
13. Textiles. shaft (def. 14).
–verb (used without object)
14. to put forth leaves.
15. to turn pages, esp. quickly (usually fol. by through): to leaf through a book.
–verb (used with object)
16. to thumb or turn, as the pages of a book or magazine, in a casual or cursory inspection of the contents.
—Idioms
17. in leaf, covered with foliage; having leaves: the pale green tint of the woods newly in leaf.
18. take a leaf out of or 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:
bef. 900; ME leef, lef, OE lēaf; c. D loof, G Laub, ON lauf, Goth laufs

Related forms:
leafless, adjective
leaflike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Slang Dictionary
leaf

  1. n.
    cocaine. (Sometimes with the. Cocaine is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant.) : The entire shipment of leaf was seized by the feds.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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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). Meaning "hinged flap on the side of a table" is from 1558. The verb meaning "to turn over (the pages of a book)" is from 1663; the sense of a book page is that in the phrase to turn over a (new) leaf (1577). Leaflet is 1787 as a term in botany; 1867 as a term in printing and publication.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: leaf
Pronunciation: 'lEf
Function: noun
: a thin layer or sheet of tissue leaf of the coronary ligament is continuouswith the right leaf of the falciform ligament>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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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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