leaf

1 of 2

noun

ˈlēf 

plural leaves ˈlēvz  also leafs ˈlēfs 

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

ˈlēf-ləs 

adjective

leaflike

ˈlēf-ˌlīk 

adjective

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

Synonyms

Verb

• flip
• riffle
• skim
• thumb

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

Pro tip: The farm also has fresh asparagus and heirloom leaf lettuce available through early May. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 5 Apr. 2024

The additional ingredients, like organic aloe vera, rosemary leaf extract, penetrate deep down to help relieve tightness and aching. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

In the middle of the drink was a mint leaf in the shape of a heart. —Souvankham Thammavongsa, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024

The leaves consist of one large and one small leaf that look the same, just different sizes. —Melinda Myers, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024

With the most recent Costco stock lists including towering topical varieties such as Majesty Palm and White Bird of Paradise at 6-8 feet and only $27.99, there have also been reports of fiddle leaf figs ranging from $15-$50. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024

The manager shared personal updates on Facebook along with information about his job, such as news about leaf pickups and whether Port Huron residents are allowed to have chickens. —USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024

The vegan formula is made from 90 percent pure aloe leaf juice, which is good for combating redness and rehydrating dry skin. —Barbara Bellesi Zito, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024

Experience a full English tea service with unlimited samplings of loose leaf tea, handmade tea sandwiches, nut-free scones and sweets, served on vintage dinnerware. —Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 10 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

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

Phrases Containing leaf

• cereal leaf beetle
• bay leaf
• corn leaf aphid
• drop leaf
• de-leaf
• gold leaf
• leaf-cutter
• fig leaf
• four-leaf clover
• in leaf
• leaf fat
• leaf miner
• leaf mold
• leaf bud
• leaf blower
• leaf butterfly
• leaf through
• leaf scorch
• leaf spring
• leaf scar
• leaf spot
• leaf roller
• leaf roll
• leaf rust
• red leaf
• oak-leaf cluster
• peach leaf curl
• take/borrow a leaf out of someone's book
• turn over a new leaf
• walking leaf
• little leaf
• loose-leaf
• seed leaf
• leaf out
• elm leaf beetle
• leaf lard
• leaf peeper
• leaf trace
• leaf curl

Kids Definition

leaf

1 of 2 noun

ˈlēf 

plural leaves ˈlēvz 

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

ˈlē-fləs 

adjective

leaflike

ˈlē-ˌflīk 

adjective

leaf

2 of 2 verb

1

: to produce leaves

2

: to turn the pages of a book

Medical Definition

leaf

noun

ˈlēf 

: a thin layer or sheet of tissue

the anterior leaf of the coronary ligament