leaf

1 of 2

noun

plural leaves ˈlēvz How to pronounce leaf (audio) also leafs ˈlēfs How to pronounce leaf (audio)
often attributive
1
a(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
(2)
: a modified leaf (such as a bract or sepal) primarily engaged in functions other than food manufacture
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
leafless adjective
leaflike adjective

Illustration of leaf

Illustration of leaf
  • 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

leaf

2 of 2

verb

leafed; leafing; leafs

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

: to turn over the pages of

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
Some family members may want to add more information to each leaf or discuss and share new family stories. Jenna Wirth, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024 Notes include Timur pepper, coriander/cilantro leaf, black tea, frankincense, violet, saffron, amber, patchouli and vanilla. Marques Harper, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Botanical supplements are made from plants, including the root, leaf, flower, stem, and seed. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 And slugs prefer damp, cool environs, often remaining underground or buried under logs, rocks, and leaf litter. Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 29 Feb. 2024 Second, which colors are complementary to the leaf color or shape? Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 The conditioner spotlights rice protein, olive leaf and rosemary extracts to strengthen and protect hair from damage. Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Poggio di Sotto 2019 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG has aromas of pomegranate and sage leaf with a whiff of fennel. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 The culprits here are sucking insects such as leaf hoppers, aphids, thrips, chilli thrips, leaf miners or spider mites. Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
Symptoms in the foliage itself include yellow or reddish blotches discoloring the leaf and sometimes leaf wrinkling. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2023 Furthermore, hyaluronic acid deeply moisturizes, and aloe leaf soothes. ELLE, 31 July 2023 Hebes are very prone to leaf damage from both over- and under-watering which can also damage the roots. oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2023 Instead, nature is found in the quiet moments: the blue scrub jay flitting from leaf to leaf outside your kitchen window; the water that makes up most of our bodies and responds to the lunar pull; the breath of air filling your lungs that was once rain. Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2022 Such a cacophony means that the reader keeps having to leaf back to make sense of the storyline. Ruth Margalit, The New York Review of Books, 30 Mar. 2023 Don’t ever leaf me. Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2023 Don't leaf me! Kelly O'Sullivan and Blair Donovan, Country Living, 18 July 2022 The trees should leaf out normally. oregonlive, 11 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leaf.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English leef, from Old English lēaf; akin to Old High German loub leaf

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of leaf was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near leaf

Cite this Entry

“Leaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leaf. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

leaf

1 of 2 noun
plural leaves ˈlēvz How to pronounce leaf (audio)
1
a
: one of the green usually flat parts that grow from a stem or twig of a plant and that function mainly in making food by photosynthesis
b
: foliage
trees in full leaf
2
a
: a part of a book or folded sheet containing a page on each side
b
: a part (as of window shutters) that slides or is hinged
c
: the movable or additional part of a table top
d
: a thin sheet (as of metal)
leafless adjective
leaflike adjective

leaf

2 of 2 verb
1
: to produce leaves
2
: to turn the pages of a book

Medical Definition

leaf

noun
: a thin layer or sheet of tissue
the anterior leaf of the coronary ligament

More from Merriam-Webster on leaf

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