leaf1 nounleaf2 verb
leafleaf1 /liːf/ ●●● S2 W2 noun (plural leaves /liːvz/) 
WORD ORIGINleaf1
Origin:
Old EnglishEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- the leaves of a maple tree
- And did I not, at fifty, put out a whole new crop of leaves myself?
- Every leaf was picked out in golden radiance.
- Experts disagree on the best way of preserving the medicinal strength of its roots and leaves.
- The leaves are evergreen or semi-evergreen since they can be heavily defoliated in severe winters.
- Turn the leaf over and use a sharp knife to cut each of the main veins on the leaf.
- When the leaves being to fall, it's time to think about the Section 9's and the Section 10's.
- When the rain passed, the limbs of the wet trees were darker and their leaves were greener.
Longman Language Activatorto start to behave better
to change the way you behave, and start being obedient, hard-working etc, after behaving badly for a long time: · It's possible the college might take you back, but first you'll have to convince them you've mended your ways.· If he doesn't mend his ways he'll be in jail by the time he's eighteen.
to decide that you will change the way you behave, because you really want to stop behaving badly, breaking the law etc: · I know I've done some bad things in the past, but now I'm turning over a new leaf.· After being released from jail, Tony decided to turn over a new leaf.
to start behaving better after a situation in which people did not trust you because you were behaving illegally or dishonestly: · She told her son to clean up his act or move out.· Tish has really cleaned up her act - she doesn't drink or smoke pot any more.
American to start to behave well after you had been behaving badly: · You'd better straighten up or you'll never make it out of high school.
British someone who has changed completely and no longer behaves badly or does things they should not do - often used humorously: · "Does Alex still drink as much as he used to?" "No, he's a reformed character now."
to stop being a criminal and decide to obey the law and live an honest life: · He's been going straight for about six months now.· You can't expect these people to go straight when no one's ever going to give them a job.
WORD SETSabstract, nounagony aunt, nounagony column, nounannual, nounanthology, nounantiquarian, adjectiveappendix, nounarticle, nounauthor, nounautobiography, nounback, nounbackslash, nounbackspace, nounballoon, nounbanner headline, nounbestiary, nounbest-seller, nounbibliography, nounbibliophile, nounbind, verbbinder, nounbinding, nounbiographer, nounbiography, nounblackout, nounbold, adjectiveboldface, nounbook, nounbookbinding, nounbooklet, nounbookmark, nounbookmobile, nounbookplate, nounbookseller, nounbookshop, nounbookstall, nounbookstore, nounbound, adjectivebox, nounbraille, nounbroadsheet, nounbrochure, nounbubble, nounbulletin, nounby-line, nouncalendar, nouncaption, nouncarry, verbcatalogue, nouncentrefold, nounchain letter, nounchapbook, nounchapter, nounchequebook journalism, nouncircular, nouncirculation, nouncity desk, nouncity editor, nounclassified ad, nounclip, nounclipping, nouncodex, nouncol, collection, nouncolour supplement, nouncolumn, nouncolumnist, nouncomic, nouncomic strip, nouncommentary, nouncommentator, nouncompanion, nouncompendium, nouncomposition, nouncompositor, nouncontribute, verbcontributor, nouncopy, nouncopy editor, nouncopyist, nouncorrespondent, nouncoursebook, nouncover girl, nouncover story, nouncross-refer, verbcross-reference, nouncutting, noundaily, noundesk, noundiarist, noundiary, noundictionary, noundime novel, noundirectory, noundog-eared, adjectivedoorstep, verbdotted line, noundraft, noundraft, verbDTP, noundust jacket, nouned., edit, verbedition, nouneditor, nouneditorial, nouneditorship, nounemend, verbencyclopedia, nounentry, nounerratum, nounet al, adverbet cetera, adverbexclusive, nounexposure, nounexpurgated, adjectivefeature, nounff, figure, nounfiller, nounfinancial supermarket, Fleet Street, fly leaf, nounfolio, nounfollow-up, nounfont, nounfootnote, nounforeword, nounformat, nounformat, verbfrontispiece, nounfull-page, adjectivefull stop, nounfunny papers, noungagging order, galley, noungazette, noungazetteer, nounghost, verbghost writer, noungloss, noungloss, verbglossary, nounglossy, noungonzo journalism, noungossip column, noungraphic design, nounguide, nounguillotine, nounhack, nounhagiography, nounhalftone, nounhandbill, nounhandbook, nounhardback, nounhardcover, nounheading, nounheadline, nounheadline, verbheadword, nounhistory, nounhumorist, nounillustrate, verbillustration, nounimpression, nounimprimatur, nounimprint, nounindent, verbindentation, nounindex, nounindex, verbinsert, nouninset, nouninset, verbinstalment, nouninterpolate, verbISBN, nounissue, nounitalicize, verbitalics, nounjacket, nounjournal, nounjournalese, nounjournalism, nounjournalist, nounjourno, nounl, landscape, nounlayout, nounleader, nounleading article, nounleaf, nounletter-size, adjectivelibrary, nounlimited edition, nounlined, adjectiveLinotype, nounliterature, nounlocal paper, nounlocal rag, nounloose-leaf, adjectivelower case, nounmag, nounmagazine, nounmanuscript, nounmargin, nounmasthead, nounmezzotint, nounmicrofiche, nounmisprint, nounmonograph, nounmonthly, nounmorocco, nounmuckraking, nounN/A, N.B., news, nounnews agency, nounnewshound, nounnewsletter, nounnewspaper, nounnewsprint, nounnews release, nounnon-fiction, nounnote, nounnotebook, nounnotice, nounnumber, nounobituary, nounoffprint, nounoffset, adjectiveomnibus, nounop. cit., open letter, nounorgan, nounoverleaf, adverboverprint, verbp., pagination, nounpamphlet, nounpamphleteer, nounpap, nounpaparazzi, nounpaper, nounpaperback, nounpaperboy, nounpaper girl, nounpaper round, nounpaper shop, nounpara, passage, nounpaste-up, nounperiodical, nounpersonal ad, nounpersonal column, nounphrasebook, nounpicture book, nounpiece, nounplate, nounpocketbook, nounpp., prequel, nounpress, nounpress baron, nounpress box, nounpress conference, nounpress corps, nounpress cutting, nounpress gallery, nounpressman, nounpress office, nounpress release, nounprint, verbprint, nounprinted matter, nounprinter, nounprinting, nounprinting ink, nounprinting press, nounproblem page, nounproof, nounproofread, verbpublication, nounpublish, verbpublisher, nounpublishing, nounpull-out, nounquarterly, adjectivequarterly, nounquarto, nounquire, nounquotation, nounquote, verbrag, nounreader, nounreadership, nounreading, nounream, nounred ink, nounreference, nounreference book, nounreference library, nounrelease, verbreprint, verbreproduce, verbreproduction, nounreproductive, adjectivereview, nounreview, verbreviewer, nounrevise, verbrevision, nounrider, nounroman, nounsans serif, nounsaturation, nounscare story, nounscoop, nounscoop, verbsection, nounserif, nounset, verbsilk screen, adjectivesketch, nounslipcase, nounsmall ad, nounsoft porn, nounsource, nounspace, nounspine, nounsplash, verbspoiler, nounstay of execution, nounstop press, nounstory, nounstorybook, nounstringer, nounstrip, nounstrip cartoon, nounsub, nounsub, verbsubedit, verbsub-editor, nounsubheading, nounsubscribe, verbsubscriber, nounsubscription, nounsuperscript, adjectivesupplement, nounsymposium, nounsyndicate, verbtable, nountabloid, nountext, nounthumb index, nountitle page, nountome, nountract, nountreatise, nountrot, nountype, nountypeface, nountypescript, nountypesetting, nountypographer, nountypography, nounvanity press, nounvellum, nounvignette, nounvol., volume, nounweekly, nounwell-thumbed, adjectivewoodblock, nounwrite-up, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs
a dock leaf The roses were now in full bloom. When you feel you’ve been cheated, it always leaves a nasty taste in the mouth (=makes you feel upset or angry afterwards).
(=become red, brown etc)· The maple leaves had turned a fiery red.
· All the leaves had fallen off the tree.
(=the leaves come off the tree)· Most trees shed their leaves in the autumn.
(=tidy away fallen leaves using a brush)· Jack was sweeping leaves in the back garden.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + leaf· the deep green leaves of the coconut trees
· The ground beneath the tree was covered in dead leaves.
(=that have fallen off the trees)· The children were jumping in piles of fallen leaves.
(also fall leaves American English) (=leaves that have changed colour or fallen in autumn)· I love the colours of the autumn leaves.
(=a leaf from a specific plant or tree)· Vine leaves stuffed with rice is a typical Greek dish.
phrases especially literary (=have leaves)· By this time, most of the trees were in leaf.
(=start having leaves)· The apple tree had finally come into leaf.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· The last bus went ten minutes ago.
a dock leaf· When a senior employee leaves the company, we hold an exit interview.
The roses were now in full bloom.· Tear the lettuce leaves into small pieces.
When you feel you’ve been cheated, it always leaves a nasty taste in the mouth (=makes you feel upset or angry afterwards). (=turn them quickly)· She was flicking through the pages of a magazine.
(=be shaking a lot because you are nervous or frightened)· Diana was shaking like a leaf when she got up to give her talk.
· She wiped the soup off her blouse, but it left a stain.
(=someone can no longer move as the result of a stroke)· Two years later she had a stroke which left her paralysed.
· Trains depart from Rugby at half-hourly intervals until 4.00 pm.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Gullies often become blocked by dead leaves and small stones which fall through the grating.· It looks like a pile of dead leaves in there.· The other nine songs on the album however, rustle past your ears like dead leaves.· He played an almost extinct worm crawling through dead leaves.· Are there any dead leaves on the ground which will tell us the kind of leaf which will soon clothe the tree?· As her mouth opened to gasp her shock it filled with snow and dead leaves.· Do they prefer fresh leaves or dead leaves?· My face was on dead leaves and dried grass and pieces of twig.
· That came from more than a few crossed twigs and dry leaves.· Beneath were heaps of dry leaves, enough to cover many men.· Lastly, put some dry leaves and grasses into the box, filling it about a quarter full.· From there you do not hear the rustling of the few remaining dry beech leaves on young trees.· Only a bold topknot of dry leaves thrust from his crown, grey-green and jagged.· Listen to the dirge of the dry leaves, that were green and vigorous but a few moons before!· Avoid dry leaves, twigs, puddles and mud as any noise will act as an alarm signal to the animal.· Chipmunks scurried over the dry leaves in short bursts, sounding like moose on the run.
· Do they prefer fresh leaves or dead leaves?· Run lemon wedges or fresh mint leaves through garbage disposal to kill odors.· Garnish with sprigs of parsley or a few fresh tarragon leaves and serve with crusty bread.· Replace wilting or mostly-eaten leaves with fresh leaves of the same kind.· Some cooks use only dried bay, but fresh leaves are also good, used in greater quantity.
· Thirty pages are reproduced in facsimile with gold leaf.· Floors and columns were painted to look like marble, and 24-karat gold leaf was applied on molding.· The name and port of registry were applied in gold leaf.· The second piece is painted with bronze and gold leaf.· Yet even as I watched, the gold leaf tilted slowly down toward the vertical, at ever-increasing speed.· Three years ago she suddenly began to produce gold leaf.· He also uses gold leaf on mirrors, then paints it to get an antique look.
· Stems of pale pink blooms above bright green leaves.· With its light green leaves it is a suitable complement to darker brownish green plants.· So the kindly plant grew to cover the rock with her green leaves.· Cornish said the guayule shrub, which has silvery green leaves, has long been viewed as a possible source of latex.· There are insects that look exactly like green leaves.· Shaded by prouder trees, Tallis waited in the stillness, watching the movements of summer through gleaming green and spiky leaves.· In a diffused light of sufficient intensity the same varieties form exquisite growth of long bright green leaves.
· There is no indication that Hollywood is turning over a new leaf, free of bloodstains.· Monnett agrees too, so much that he has turned over a new leaf.· Globe artichokes are sprouting new leaves and may need protection from frost in cold areas.· What he does is chew up a pale, new leaf.· Taking begonia leaf cuttings 1 Healthy new leaves make ideal material for leaf cuttings.· And did I not, at fifty, put out a whole new crop of leaves myself?· While rejoicing in the first full month of the closed fishing season also look out for the pale new leaves of spring.· Their new light green leaves look vulnerable.
· The trees shook, all their young leaves shivering as if with ague or fear of the approaching storm.· The leaves are of various shapes and arranged mostly in two rows on the rhizome; young leaves are rolled.· Pieris japonica Variegata is a popular shrub for cutting as the young leaves are lightly tinged with pink.· Some of the youngest spirally twisted leaves can be saved and will develop in the spring.· The young leaves are very narrow, ribbon-like, linear and pointed at the tip.· The young leaves are usually reddish, seldom light green.· However, the tannins are least abundant in the younger leaves.· He marked young leaves as they began to expand and then followed their fate by repeated observation.
NOUN· Cultivation: The planting medium should consist of clay, peat, loam or leaf mould and a good layer of sand.· Plant this shrub in an open position and mulch with peat or leaf mould.· Madra tripped and fell headlong in the leaf mould, and in an instant their pursuers were upon her.· In this country, experiments are continuing with sticky goo to counteract the slippery leaf mould.
· Helen uncovered her cup, checking to see if her tea leaves had sunk all the way to the bottom yet.· A tea leaf was a thief, in rhyming slang.
VERB· He was covered with rotting sweet-potato leaves, and a dark-red liquid dripped from his arms and legs.· The tree limbs were covered with leaves and the green grass cushioned the sapphire blue of the sky.
· In autumn, it pays to cover the pool with netting to keep out falling leaves.· Their voices were feathers, falling leaves, water seeping into its table.· Madra tripped and fell headlong in the leaf mould, and in an instant their pursuers were upon her.· Water lilies do not grow well if water is falling on to their leaves.· Meanwhile, the arms hung down, wrinkled like grotesque, long, fallen leaves.· I hear something fall on to the leaves below.· It is mature and spontaneous utterance falling like ripe leaves on a still day in the fall of the year.
· Rachel moved with a hoarse cry, groping blindly for support, trying to reach the sofas, shaking like a leaf.· Every now and then the wind blew and rustled the branches and the snow was shaken down from the leaves.· A mild breeze shook the leaves and a few dark clouds scudded across the sky.· She was shaking like a leaf in a storm, bewildered and utterly drained of emotion.
· He shed his leaves to cover her.· Fiery gold and orange trees shed leaves which drifted down before a bright blue sky.· When they shed leaves because of drought, trees do not usually bother with all the razzmatazz of colouring them beforehand.· Inadequate light produces weak plants which shed their leaves very regularly.· Winter came and the Daurog shed their leaves.
· There is no indication that Hollywood is turning over a new leaf, free of bloodstains.· As the New Year came and went, so did millions of resolutions to turn over a healthier leaf.· Faldo, perhaps above all, will be hoping to turn over a new leaf.· Monnett agrees too, so much that he has turned over a new leaf.· Like all fathers, I see fatherhood as a chance to turn over a new leaf.· We urge them to turn over a new leaf.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► take a leaf out of somebody’s bookPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1plant [countable] one of the flat green parts of a plant that are joined to its stem or branches: - After being released from jail, Tony decided to turn over a new leaf.
- I know I've done some bad things in the past, but now I'm turning over a new leaf.
- Faldo, perhaps above all, will be hoping to turn over a new leaf.
- Like all fathers, I see fatherhood as a chance to turn over a new leaf.
- Monnett agrees too, so much that he has turned over a new leaf.
- There is no indication that Hollywood is turning over a new leaf, free of bloodstains.
- We urge them to turn over a new leaf.
- In the garden of the little farm, fruit trees are coming into flower, and others are beginning to leaf.
- The cherry tree was coming into blossom, encouraged by the unseasonably warm sunshine.
- When planted through beds of hybrid tea or floribunda rosea they add interest before the roses come into flower.
- First, insects have compound eyes consisting of up to several thousand optical units called ommatidia, each with a single lens.
- Instead, it forms a huge domed shield on the front of which are two bean-shaped compound eyes.
- It forms the greater part of the brain and innervates the compound eyes and ocelli.
- That portion of the epicranium which lies immediately behind the frons and between the compound eyes is termed the vertex.
- The silverfish, for example, has compound eyes but others in the group are blind.
- There is not only one way, as is demonstrated by the compound eyes of arthropods.
- Suddenly as they exchanged memories each saw the other putting forth leaves.
a flowering bush with large shiny leavesleaf of Add a few leaves of fresh basil to the salad.be in leaf/come into leaf (=have or start growing leaves, at a particular time of year) The forest was just coming into leaf.2take a leaf out of somebody’s book to copy the way someone else behaves because you want to be like them or be as successful as they are: They are committing $3m to research. We could take a leaf out of their book.3turn over a new leaf to change the way you behave and become a better person: I see fatherhood as a chance to turn over a new leaf.4page [countable] formal a page of a book: He slipped the letter between the leaves of his notebook. → loose-leaf, overleaf5part of table [countable] a part of the top of a table that can be taken out to make the table smaller → shake like a leaf at shake1(2)COLLOCATIONSverbsthe leaves turn red/brown etc (=become red, brown etc)· The maple leaves had turned a fiery red.the leaves fall· All the leaves had fallen off the tree.a tree loses/sheds its leaves (=the leaves come off the tree)· Most trees shed their leaves in the autumn.sweep (up) the leaves (=tidy away fallen leaves using a brush)· Jack was sweeping leaves in the back garden.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + leafa green/brown/yellow etc leaf· the deep green leaves of the coconut treesa dead leaf· The ground beneath the tree was covered in dead leaves.fallen leaves (=that have fallen off the trees)· The children were jumping in piles of fallen leaves.autumn leaves (also fall leaves American English) (=leaves that have changed colour or fallen in autumn)· I love the colours of the autumn leaves.an oak/vine/spinach etc leaf (=a leaf from a specific plant or tree)· Vine leaves stuffed with rice is a typical Greek dish.phrasesbe in leaf especially literary (=have leaves)· By this time, most of the trees were in leaf.come into leaf (=start having leaves)· The apple tree had finally come into leaf.leaf1 nounleaf2 verb
leafleaf2 verb VERB TABLE
leaf
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | leaf |
| he, she, it | leafs | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | leafed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have leafed |
| he, she, it | has leafed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had leafed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will leaf |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have leafed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am leafing |
| he, she, it | is leafing | |
| you, we, they | are leafing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was leafing |
| you, we, they | were leafing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been leafing |
| he, she, it | has been leafing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been leafing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be leafing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been leafing |
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- But just the simple act of leafing through and talking about a book can help.
- He leafed through a pile of documents until he found a sheet of paper torn from an exercise book.
- He leafed through his papers, then, with a glance at Sonny, raised his eyebrows expectantly.
- I leaf through the pages again that night.
- Nigel leafed through a few large-print Agatha Christies but was put off by the noxious inexplicable stains on the pages.
Longman Language Activatorto read only parts of something
to turn the pages of a book, magazine etc without reading much of it, looking for something interesting or useful: · She flicked through the guidebook, looking for somewhere to visit in the afternoon.· I began leafing through a magazine.· Gloria lay on her bed and idly thumbed through the pages of a travel brochure.
to read short parts of a book, magazine etc because you do not want to read the whole thing or because you are looking for a particular piece of information: · He had some books by his bed which he would dip into when he couldn't sleep.· This is a wonderful reference book to dip into for all sorts of fascinating information.
to turn the pages of a magazine or book, stopping to read parts that interest you: · I was browsing through a magazine at the station bookstall when I noticed Susan.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a dock leaf The roses were now in full bloom. When you feel you’ve been cheated, it always leaves a nasty taste in the mouth (=makes you feel upset or angry afterwards).
· The last bus went ten minutes ago.
a dock leaf· When a senior employee leaves the company, we hold an exit interview.
The roses were now in full bloom.· Tear the lettuce leaves into small pieces.
When you feel you’ve been cheated, it always leaves a nasty taste in the mouth (=makes you feel upset or angry afterwards). (=turn them quickly)· She was flicking through the pages of a magazine.
(=be shaking a lot because you are nervous or frightened)· Diana was shaking like a leaf when she got up to give her talk.
· She wiped the soup off her blouse, but it left a stain.
(=someone can no longer move as the result of a stroke)· Two years later she had a stroke which left her paralysed.
· Trains depart from Rugby at half-hourly intervals until 4.00 pm.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· But just the simple act of leafing through and talking about a book can help.· And leafing through the book, I read the page numbers out loud, too.· Grabbing the phone book, he leafed through, looking for the number of the nursing home.· We were leafing through a well-worn copy of Sports Illustrated, and Mike was identifying his clients.
NOUN· I leafed through the book for a while.· And leafing through the book, I read the page numbers out loud, too.· I leafed through the books in her bookcase.
· Cornelius leafed through the remaining pages.· I leaf through the pages again that night.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
leaf through something phrasal verb to turn the pages of a book quickly, without reading it properly SYN skim through: - In the garden of the little farm, fruit trees are coming into flower, and others are beginning to leaf.
- The cherry tree was coming into blossom, encouraged by the unseasonably warm sunshine.
- When planted through beds of hybrid tea or floribunda rosea they add interest before the roses come into flower.
- First, insects have compound eyes consisting of up to several thousand optical units called ommatidia, each with a single lens.
- Instead, it forms a huge domed shield on the front of which are two bean-shaped compound eyes.
- It forms the greater part of the brain and innervates the compound eyes and ocelli.
- That portion of the epicranium which lies immediately behind the frons and between the compound eyes is termed the vertex.
- The silverfish, for example, has compound eyes but others in the group are blind.
- There is not only one way, as is demonstrated by the compound eyes of arthropods.
- Suddenly as they exchanged memories each saw the other putting forth leaves.
She picked up the magazine and leafed through it.- selective
- selectively
- selectivity
- selector
- selenium
- Seles, Monica
- self-
- self
- self-absorbed
- self-absorption
- self-abuse
- self-access
- self-actualization
- self-addressed
- self-adhesive
- self-appointed
- self-assembly
- self-assertive
- self-assertiveness,
- self-assessment
- self-assurance
- self-assured
- self-aware
- self-awareness
- selfbuild