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

Black cherry preserves and blueberry muffins beckon to the drinker, balanced by lots of acidity and earthy notes of slate and granite with sage leaf and a firm structure to give it lift and precision. —Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Composed of 78 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 21 percent Cabernet Franc, and 1 percent Petite Verdot, the 2020 has aromas of violet petals, Oolong tea, and tobacco leaf with flavors of dark chocolate, brown baking spices, and black currant. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 12 Dec. 2024

Verb

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

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

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

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