Main Entry:

¹leaf

Pronunciation:

\ˈlēf\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural leaves \ˈlēvz\ also leafs \ˈlēfs\

Usage:

often attributive

Etymology:

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

Date:

before 12th century

1 a (1): a lateral 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 (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 commerce2: something suggestive of a leaf: 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 c (1): a thin sheet or plate of any substance : lamina (2): metal (as gold or silver) in sheets usually thinner than foil (3): one of the plates of a leaf spring

— leaf·less \ˈlēf-ləs\ adjective

— leaf·like \ˈlēf-ˌlīk\ adjective

[leaf illustration]