leaf

1 of 2

noun

ˈlēf How to pronounce leaf (audio)
plural leaves ˈlēvz How to pronounce leaf (audio) also leafs ˈlēfs How to pronounce leaf (audio)
often attributive
Synonyms of leafnext
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 How to pronounce leaf (audio)
adjective
leaflike
ˈlēf-ˌlīk How to pronounce leaf (audio)
adjective

Illustration of leaf

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

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Remove the lower third of the plant's leaves to improve air circulation and speed leaf drying after rain and irrigation. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 July 2025 Their Ashes & Diamonds 2019 V.1 Bordeaux-style red blend has aromas of cassis, black raspberry, and graphite with rounded tannins and flavors of black cherry, tobacco leaf, and black currant. —Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 10 July 2025
Verb
Trees are leafing, birds are chirping and the mere thought of sending a Microsoft Teams or Slack message feels like an affront to Mother Nature; spring has finally sprung in Indianapolis. —Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 This is because of the increasing demands for networking and switches to connect exponentially larger clusters, from spine to leaf in the front end and back end, rack to rack and accelerator to accelerator. —Beth Kindig, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for leaf

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of leaf was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing leaf

Rhymes for leaf

See All Rhymes for leaf

Browse Nearby Words

leady
leaf
leafage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leaf. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

leaf

1 of 2 noun
ˈlēf How to pronounce leaf (audio)
plural leaves ˈlēvz How to pronounce leaf (audio)
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 How to pronounce leaf (audio)
adjective
leaflike
ˈlē-ˌflīk How to pronounce leaf (audio)
adjective

leaf

2 of 2 verb
1
: to produce leaves
2
: to turn the pages of a book

Medical Definition

leaf

noun
ˈlēf How to pronounce leaf (audio)
: a thin layer or sheet of tissue
the anterior leaf of the coronary ligament

More from Merriam-Webster on leaf

Nglish: Translation of leaf for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about leaf

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ten Painless Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Ten Painless Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All