foliage

play

noun fo·liage \ ˈfō-lē-ij also -lyij ; nonstandard ˈfō-lij , nonstandard ˈfȯi-lij \

Definition of foliage

1 :a representation of leaves, flowers, and branches for architectural ornamentation

The doorframe was decorated with beautifully carved foliage.

2 :the aggregate of leaves of one or more plants

trees with colorful autumn foliage

3 :a cluster of leaves, flowers, and branches

A wreath of foliage adorned her front door.

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foliaged

play \ˈfō-lē-ijd also -lyijd; nonstandard ˈfō-lijd, nonstandard ˈfȯi-\ adjective

See foliage defined for English-language learners

See foliage defined for kids

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How do you pronounce foliage?

The disyllabic pronunciation \ˈfō-lij\ is very common. Some commentators insist that foliage requires a trisyllabic pronunciation because of its spelling, but words of a similar pattern such as carriage and marriage do not fall under their prescription. The pronunciation \ˈfȯi-lij\ is disapproved because it suggests the transposition of the l and i in the spelling. It is not as common as \ˈfō-lij\ and may be associated with the nonstandard spelling foilage.

Examples of foliage in a Sentence

a tree with pretty foliage
the thick green foliage of the jungle

Recent Examples of foliage from the Web

Behind the gallery, there's a zen lake, where guests could be seen meditating on the sandy shore as its still waters reflected lush foliage, irregular karst peaks fading into the distance and an arched walkway known as a moon bridge.

— kevin chan, chicagotribune.com, "Western brand, Chinese characteristics: Club Med at Guilin," 25 Aug. 2017
In the jungle below, biologists armed with a black tranquilizer rifle are hunting them, flashes of khaki through the foliage.

— sam kean, Science | AAAS, "When will yellow fever strike Brazil again? Monkeys and mosquitoes hold clues," 17 Aug. 2017
As autumn fades, the large evergreen foliage continues to make a bold statement in the stark winter landscape.

— ciscoe morris, The Seattle Times, "Ciscoe Morris: Go bananas with these big, bold, tropical plants," 9 Aug. 2017
End with a weekend in Stowe or Mad River Valley for farm-to-table dining and plenty of craft beer and, through October 15, the chance to fly among the foliage at Stowe’s ZipTour, a nearly two-mile zipline.

— alyssa giacobbe, Town & Country, "The 7 Best Places to See Fall Foliage in New England," 31 July 2017
Avoid having your car concealed by larger vehicles, fences or foliage.

— howard koplowitz, AL.com, "Birmingham Water Works to end Saturday hours at end of July," 19 July 2017
Lavender-blue flower sprays enhance aromatic, deer resistant foliage.

— karen dardick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Spruce up garden with these heat seekers," 14 July 2017
And so BKSK exercised the architect’s prerogative to enshrine what time erodes, translating the cast foliage designs of the 19th century into contemporary digital abstractions molded in glazed terra-cotta.

— justin davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "The Strange State of New York’s Street-Level Retail Storefronts," 14 July 2017
Foliage is a nice dark, leathery green and fall color is a good deep shade of wine. ‘

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "Queen of the summer. Why your garden needs an oakleaf hydrangea," 14 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'foliage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

How Do You Pronounce foliage?

The English language has its share of common but disputed usages. One such example is the pronunciation of foliage as FOH-lij or, even more irksome to some, FOY-lij. The first of these two pronunciations, though frequently disparaged, is consistent with the pronunciation of the -iage ending in marriage and carriage, as well the less common but widely accepted pronunciation of verbiage as VER-bij. The second of these is often more fiercely denounced, in part because of its association with the nonstandard spelling foilage. Oddly enough, foliage traces back to Middle French foille ("leaf"), which is also the source of the English word foil (as in "aluminum foil"). When adopted by Middle English speakers, foil originally meant "leaf."