\ ˈlēf
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plural leaves\ ˈlēvz
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also leafs\ ˈlēfs
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also leafs\ ˈlēfs
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Definition of leaf
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a(1)
: a lateral (see lateral entry 1 sense 2) outgrowth from a plant stem that is typically a flattened expanded variably shaped greenish organ, constitutes a unit of the foliage, and functions primarily in food manufacture by photosynthesis
b(1)
: foliage
trees in full leaf
(2)
: the leaves of a plant as an article of commerce
2
: something suggestive of a leaf: such as
a
: a part of a book or folded sheet containing a page on each side
b(1)
: a part (as of window shutters, folding doors, or gates) that slides or is hinged
(2)
: the movable parts of a table top
added a leaf to the table to accommodate more people
c(1)
: a thin sheet or plate of any substance : lamina
(2)
: metal (such as gold or silver) in sheets usually thinner than foil
(3)
: one of the plates of a leaf spring
leaf
verb
leafed;
leafing;
leafs
Definition of leaf (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to shoot out or produce leaves
will leaf out in spring
2
: to turn over pages especially to browse or skim
leaf through a book
: to turn over the pages of
Illustration of leaf
Noun
forms of leaf 1a(1): 1 needle-shaped, 2 linear, 3 lanceolate, 4 elliptical, 5 ensiform, 6 oblong, 7 oblanceolate with acuminate tip, 8 ovate with acute tip, 9 obovate, 10 spatulate, 11 fiddle-shaped, 12 cuneate, 13 deltoid, 14 cordate, 15 reniform, 16 orbiculate, 17 runcinate, 18 lyrate, 19 peltate, 20 hastate, 21 sagittate, 22 odd-pinnate, 23 abruptly pinnate, 24 trifoliolate, 25, 26 palmate
In the meaning defined above
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Other Words from leaf
Noun
leafless
\ ˈlēf-ləs
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adjective
\
adjective
leaflike
\ ˈlēf-ˌlīk
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adjective
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adjective
Examples of leaf in a Sentence
Noun
I heard the rustle of the autumn leaves. a pile of dead leaves The trees drop their leaves in the fall, and new leaves grow again in the spring. The trees have not yet come into leaf.Verb
we must have spent hours leafing through wallpaper books before we found something we both liked
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Not so happy with the maintenance of picking up fuzz, leaves and twigs. — Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, "Hollow, goop-filled tree needs an arborist’s advice," 30 Aug. 2019 Their diet consists of grass, tree bark, leaves and roots. — Fox News, "Incredible images show elephant getting rescued from a 20-foot well in India," 30 Aug. 2019 Consider adding a protective top, like the Trane WeatherGuard, to keep leaves and other debris out of the unit. — Graham Hiemstra, Popular Mechanics, "How to Get Your HVAC System Ready for Winter," 29 Aug. 2019 That means vertical farming can, for the time being, be profitable only for high-value, perishable produce, such as salad leaves and fancy herbs. — The Economist, "The foody benefits of farming vertically," 29 Aug. 2019 Add sage leaves and cook stirring occasionally, until bubbles subside. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup," 28 Aug. 2019 Some samples contained mold, and others were diluted with stems and leaves. — Anna Gunther, CBS News, "DEA says it will expand marijuana research, ending years of delay," 26 Aug. 2019 Moist tropical forests are distinguished by their canopies of interlocking leaves and branches that shelter creatures below from sun and wind, and by their incredible variety of animal and plant life. — Mahita Gajanan, Time, "Environmentalists Have Been Warning About Amazon Fires for Decades. The Stakes Are Now Higher Than Ever," 23 Aug. 2019 Twigs, leaves and squirrel droppings can clog up the drains. — courant.com, "Car Talk: Her Lincoln Town Car can’t weather the storms," 2 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Roses grown in containers should be watered deeply and less frequently, rather than more often with quick bursts of shallow water as our water is salty and our plants will otherwise be susceptible to leaf burn. — Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Water needs for roses rise with summer temperatures," 11 July 2019 In the spring the trees are leafing out earlier and in the fall the ragweed is lasting longer. — Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, "You’re not imagining it: The pollen increase is real, and it’s linked to climate change," 11 June 2019 For Clairemont’s Esther Erdell, 82, visiting Old Town is like leafing through a family photo album. — Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Spirit of (18)76: Old Town celebrates July 4 with a 19th century vibe," 5 July 2019 Suddenly, the trees have leafed out completely and the quiet suburban landscape is punctuated by a crystal blue sky. — Randy Blaser, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Summer is here. You better enjoy it while it lasts.," 6 June 2019 Even without a cell phone, bosses can snub their employees by not giving them their full attention, whether that’s twirling a pen or leafing through other documents. — Mary Hui, Washington Post, "Does your boss ‘phub’ you to focus on a smartphone? Science explains why that’s a stupid move," 4 Jan. 2018 Despite lacking text of any kind, this book told even a child that it was meant to be leafed through from start to finish. — The New York Review of Books, "Joel Smith," 18 Apr. 2019 Vlogs rose to popularity out of viewers' desires to see someone's everyday life, but for Kylie that means leafing through closets of Alexander Wang and throwing expensive surprise birthday parties. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "The 8 Least Relatable Things That Happen In Kylie Jenner's "Day In The Life" Vlog," 6 June 2019 Mortensen’s character, Tony, takes it on the trip and leafs through it several times. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Green Book builds a feel-good comedy atop an artifact of shameful segregation. Yikes.," 7 Jan. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'leaf.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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