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foliate

foliate

8.4
Decorated with leaf shapes often used in art or buildings
  • adjective
  • /ˈfoʊliˌeɪt/
translation icon : foliáceo
  • The ornate church was adorned with beautiful foliate carvings that depicted various plants and leaves.
  • a foliate design

Examples

  • Many ancient manuscripts featured foliate designs that enhanced the beauty of the text.

  • The base of Labille-Guiard's rough-hewn easel now boasts a foliate garland and ormolu sabots in the shape of winged claws.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The artist's painting included a foliate border that complemented the central scene.

Synonyms

foliated
vsfoliate
8.1

Decorated with leaf shapes on things like buildings or furniture

is the general decorative term for leaf motifs in art or architecture
sprigged
vsfoliate
7.2

With a pattern of small leaves or flowers

focuses more generally on leaf-shaped ornamentation, not small repeat patterns
phylliform
vsfoliate
  • Specialized
9.9

Shaped like a leaf

relates instead to decorative leaf motifs rather than exact leaf shape
leaflike
vsfoliate
4.3

Having the shape or look of a leaf

is used for decorative leaf-shaped designs in art or architecture
leaf-like
vsfoliate
4.2

Having the shape of a leaf

is applied when such leaf resemblance is used as decoration
fronded
vsfoliate
  • Specialized
6.9

A plant that has long divided leaves like a fern or palm

is instead about decorative leaf motifs, not living plant parts
foliose
vsfoliate
  • Specialized
9.8

Having many leaves or parts that look like leaves

refers to decorative leaf shapes rather than abundant living foliage

How Decorative

palmette
  • Specialized
8.7
foliate
8.4
undecorated
1 3.9

Surface Forms

foliate positive
foliated comparative

Morphology

foliate = foliage (semi-transparent) = foli + ate

The decorative meaning is a straightforward application of 'leaf'/'foliage' but uses the Latin combining form 'foli-', which may not be obvious to all learners.

Etymology

Foliate comes from the Latin folium 'leaf', the same root as foliage, and it helps you remember decoration made of leaf shapes, so a foliate design is decorated like leaves.