leaf
pronunciation
How to pronounce leaf in British English:
UK [liːf]
How to pronounce leaf in American English:
US [liːf]
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- Noun:
- the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
- a sheet of any written or printed material (especially in a manuscript or book)
- hinged or detachable flat section (as of a table or door)
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- Verb:
- look through a book or other written material
- turn over pages
- produce leaves, of plants
Word Origin
- leaf
- leaf: [OE] Leaf goes back to a prehistoric Germanic *laubaz, which also produced words for ‘foliage’ in other modern Germanic languages (German laub, Dutch loof, Swedish löf, and Danish løv). It is not known for certain where the Germanic word came from, although a connection has been suggested with Russian lupit’ ‘bark’. It may also lie behind the modern English words lobby and lodge.=> lobby, lodge
- leaf (n.)
- Old English leaf "leaf of a plant; page of a book," from Proto-Germanic *laubaz (cognates: Old Saxon lof, Old Norse lauf, Old Frisian laf, Dutch loof, Old High German loub, German Laub "foliage, leaves," Gothic lauf), perhaps from PIE *leup- "to peel off, break off" (cognates: Lithuanian luobas, Old Church Slavonic lubu "bark, rind"). Extended 15c. to very thin sheets of metal (especially gold). Meaning "hinged flap on the side of a table" is from 1550s.
- leaf (v.)
- "to turn over (the pages of a book)," 1660s, from leaf (n.). The notion of a book page also is in the phrase to turn over a (new) leaf (1570s). Related: Leafed; leaved; leafing.
Example
- 1. Nissan took the wraps off its leaf electric car .
- 2. Outside , leaf shadows twist and fall like embers .
- 3. A garlic leaf : this isn 't just decoration .
- 4. But that fig leaf has since blown away .
- 5. The fact is few really believed the investment banking sector 's claims of a new leaf having been turned over .