LEAVEN


Meaning of LEAVEN in English

I. leav ‧ en 1 /ˈlev ə n/ BrE AmE ( also leav‧en‧ing /ˈlev ə nɪŋ/) noun

[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: levain , from Vulgar Latin levamen , from Latin levare 'to raise' ]

1 . [uncountable] technical a substance, especially ↑ yeast , that is added to a mixture of flour and water so that it will swell and can be baked into bread ⇨ unleavened

2 . [singular, uncountable] literary something that makes an event or situation less boring, serious, or sad

II. leaven 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]

formal to make something less boring, serious, or sad

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.