/ liːf; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun ( pl. leaves / liːvz; NAmE /)
1.
[ C ] a flat green part of a plant, growing from a stem or branch or from the root :
lettuce / cabbage / oak leaves
The trees are just coming into leaf .
the dead leaves of autumn / the fall
—picture at plant
—see also bay leaf , fig leaf
2.
-leaf , -leafed , -leaved (in adjectives) having leaves of the type or number mentioned :
a four-leaf clover
a broad-leaved plant
3.
[ C ] a sheet of paper, especially a page in a book
—see also flyleaf , loose-leaf , overleaf
4.
[ U ] metal, especially gold or silver, in the form of very thin sheets :
gold leaf
5.
[ C ] a part of a table that can be lifted up or pulled into position in order to make the table bigger
•
IDIOMS
- take a leaf from / out of sb's book
SYN emulate
•
IDIOMS
see new
■ verb
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- leaf through sth
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English lēaf , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch loof and German Laub .