leaf

1 of 2

noun

ˈlēf

plural leaves ˈlēvz

also leafs ˈlēfs

often attributive

Synonyms of leaf next

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

: something suggestive of a leaf: such as

: 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

: to shoot out or produce leaves

will leaf out in spring

: to turn over pages especially to browse or skim

leaf through a book

transitive verb

: to turn over the pages of

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

Each box includes whole leaf teas harvested from tea estates around the world. —

Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 27 Jan. 2025 Watering too often, not often enough, at lower ambient temperatures, and late in the day can lead to plant diseases, leaf drop, or an explosion of harmful pests. —

Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2025

Verb

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 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 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

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing leaf

Cite this Entry

Style

“Leaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leaf. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

leaf

1 of 2 noun

ˈlēf

plural leaves ˈlēvz

: 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

: foliage

trees in full leaf

: a part of a book or folded sheet containing a page on each side

: a part (as of window shutters) that slides or is hinged

: the movable or additional part of a table top

: a thin sheet (as of metal)

leafless

ˈlē-fləs

adjective

leaflike

ˈlē-ˌflīk

adjective

leaf

2 of 2 verb

: to produce leaves

: 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

Last Updated: 30 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

finesse

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

leaf

noun

Illustration of leaf

verb

Synonyms

Examples of leaf in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near leaf

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition