one of the expanded, usually green organs borne by the stem of a plant.
any similar or corresponding lateral outgrowth of a stem.
a petal: a rose leaf.
leaves collectively; foliage.
Bibliography. a unit generally comprising two printed, blank, or illustrated pages of a book, one on each side.
a thin sheet of metal: silver leaf.
a lamina or layer.
a sliding, hinged, or detachable flat part, as of a door or tabletop.
a section of a drawbridge.
a single strip of metal in a leaf spring.
a tooth of a small gear wheel, as of a pinion.
leaf fat.
Textiles. shaft (def. 14).
verb (used without object)
to put forth leaves.
to turn pages, especially quickly (usually followed by through): to leaf through a book.
verb (used with object)
to thumb or turn, as the pages of a book or magazine, in a casual or cursory inspection of the contents.
Idioms for leaf
in leaf, covered with foliage; having leaves: the pale green tint of the woods newly in leaf.
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.
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 of leaf
First recorded before 900; Middle English leef, lef, Old English lēaf; cognate with Dutch loof, German Laub, Old Norse lauf, Gothic laufs
OTHER WORDS FROM leaf
leafless,adjectiveleaflike,adjectiveun·leaf,verb (used with object)un·leaf·like,adjective
Words nearby leaf
lead white, lead with one's chin, leadwort, leadwort family, leady, leaf, leafage, leaf beet, leaf beetle, leafbird, leaf blight
Definition for leaf (2 of 2)
Leaf
[ leef ]
/ lif /
noun
Mun·ro[muhn-roh], /mʌnˈroʊ/, 1905–76, U.S. author and illustrator of books for children.
Thankfully, the chore of keeping your property looking great is made easier with a leaf blower.
Leaf blowers that help you fight fallen foliage|PopSci Commerce Team|September 25, 2020|Popular Science
The Leaf has been around for nearly a decade, but many reviewers still think the base model cuts a few too many corners to hit a lower price point.
5 cheap electric cars to buy until Tesla delivers on its $25,000 promise|dzanemorris|September 23, 2020|Fortune
With most recreational pleasures put on pause for men in these communities, women who aren’t sellers are hopeful that their husbands will turn over a new leaf, say activists.
How the Pandemic Is Saving Lives in the Horn of Africa|Eromo Egbejule|September 3, 2020|Ozy
To test a link between leaf biting and pollen shortages, the researchers did a caged-bee test.
Bumblebees may bite leaves to spur plant blooming|Susan Milius|July 2, 2020|Science News For Students
The notion that bee damage to a leaf could jump-start flowering originally struck Mark Mescher as a long shot.
Bumblebees may bite leaves to spur plant blooming|Susan Milius|July 2, 2020|Science News For Students
A lot of us Republicans are having trouble getting the leaf blower started.
The GOP Senate: A New Utopia Dawns|P. J. O’Rourke|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But consider: inhaling one leaf has had the largest deleterious impact on human health of any single product in human history.
Can You Really O.D. on Pot?|Kent Sepkowitz|February 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The x-rays and medical information initially belonged to plastic surgeon Michael Gurdin, who began working with Leaf in 1975.
Marilyn Monroe Plastic Surgery Records to be Auctioned Off; Cara Delevingne May Star in Amanda Knox Film|The Fashion Beast Team|October 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
So, for example, Nissan this year cut the sticker price of the Leaf to $28,000—a reduction of $6,400, or 18 percent.
Are We at the Electric Car’s Tipping Point?|Daniel Gross|June 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
My failure to see a microbe is a statement about the precision of my instrument, not about whether there is a microbe on the leaf.
How Not to Cherry-Pick the Results of the Oregon Study (Ultrawonkish)|Megan McArdle|May 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
An axillary flower stands between the bract or leaf which subtends it and the axis or stem which bears this bract or leaf.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray
The angry waters piled about them and tossed the boat about upon the wave crests like a leaf.
The Wilderness Castaways|Dillon Wallace
Bring back some leaf mould from the woods, and mix the garden soil for the rockery.
The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming.|Ellen Eddy Shaw
Carry home this fearsome green mummy on the leaf; put him in a cage made of wire screen, and watch him.
Trees Every Child Should Know|Julia Ellen Rogers
I called, but there was not even the rustle of a leaf in answer.
Schwartz: A History|David Christie Murray
British Dictionary definitions for leaf
leaf
/ (liːf) /
nounpluralleaves (liːvz)
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants, usually consisting of a flat green blade attached to the stem directly or by a stalkRelated adjectives: foliar, foliate
foliage collectively
in leaf(of shrubs, trees, etc) having a full complement of foliage leaves
one of the sheets of paper in a book
a hinged, sliding, or detachable part, such as an extension to a table
metal in the form of a very thin flexible sheetgold leaf
a foil or thin strip of metal in a composite material; lamina
short for leaf spring
the inner or outer wall of a cavity wall
a crop that is harvested in the form of leaves
a metal strip forming one of the laminations in a leaf spring
a slang word for marijuana
take a leaf out of someone's bookortake a leaf from someone's bookto imitate someone, esp in one particular course of action
turn over a new leafto begin a new and improved course of behaviour
verb
(when intr, usually foll by through) to turn (through pages, sheets, etc) cursorily
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.