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leaf

leaf

178 1.0
A flat green part of a plant that grows from a stem
  • noun
  • /liːf/
translation icon : hoja
  • In the spring, the tree bursts into life when new leaves grow on its branches.
  • tea leaf
  • tea leaf infusion
  • moringa leaf

And this morning the leaves were passing her by.

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Examples

  • The results showed that the moringa leaf tea infusions can be a good source of iron.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Then he was falling again, this time like an autumn leaf drifting slowly to earth.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • So we're going to take these leaves here and break those off.

  • And this morning the leaves were passing her by.

  • The trees start to shed their leaves to make room for what is next.

  • So you can see here these leaves are very, very plump.

  • The mineral content of moringa leaf is higher than the reported values of green tea leaves.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Trees are tall woody plants that have leaves and one load bearing trunk.

  • The shadows were made by leaves blowing in some wind I couldn't feel.

  • The caterpillarlike larvae live in leaf litter, feeding on dead insects and other organic matter.

    Academic text (1993)

Synonyms

blade
vsleaf
  • Specialized
18 3.5

The broad flat part of a leaf that grows from the stem

is the whole green organ on a stem that performs photosynthesis and includes stalk
leaf blade
vsleaf
3.7

A broad flat part of a leaf that is not the stalk

is the whole green organ on a stem that performs photosynthesis and includes stalk

Idioms

3 4.6

To tremble a lot because you are afraid, nervous, or cold

Copy what someone does to get the same results

Compounds

A small green plant with four leaves that people think brings luck

6 4.3

Very thin sheets of gold used to decorate objects and food

5 2.3

A dried leaf that flavors soups and stews

fig leaf
  • Informal
4 6.7

Something used to hide a wrong or embarrassing action

2 1.0

A young leaf that has just started to grow on a plant

An herb with flat broad leaves that people use in cooking for its strong flavor

1 2.3

A type of lettuce with loose, curled leaves used in salads

leaf lard
  • Specialized
1 8.7

A soft, good quality pig fat from around the kidneys that people use in baking

leaf mold
  • Specialized
1 4.9

Soil made mostly of dead leaves that have rotted to help plants grow

leaf shape
  • Specialized
1 2.8

The outline of a leaf that helps identify plants

leaf spring
  • Specialized
1 6.4

A long set of metal strips under a vehicle that absorbs shocks

1 7.3

A small bee that cuts pieces of leaves to line its nest

maple-leaf
  • Canadian
1 3.3

A red leaf shape that represents Canada on its flag

betel leaf
  • Indian
1 7.7

A green leaf from a vine used in Asia for chewing with a nut or tobacco

1 3.2

A small leaf used in South Indian and Sri Lankan cooking to add a strong smell and taste

1 6.7

A small bright insect that feeds on plant juices, often on leaves

pinnate leaf
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A leaf with smaller leaves along a central stem like a feather

9.9

A small herb with round yellow flowers and a strong smell that people use to flavor food or tea

big-leaf maple
  • Specialized
6.0

A large western North American tree with very big leaves that have five parts and turn orange in autumn

bijugate leaf
  • Specialized
9.9

A leaf that has two pairs of leaflets on its stalk

bijugous leaf
  • Specialized
9.9

A leaf with two pairs of small leaflets on one stem

blunt-leaf heath
  • Australian
9.9

A small upright shrub from Australia and Tasmania with fragrant white flowers

A small black insect whose young live inside birch leaves and eat them

bipinnate leaf
  • Specialized
8.6

A leaf with each main leaflet divided into smaller leaflets, like on ferns

A small pine tree from California that has single needles and cones with edible seeds

A small soft roll made from three dough balls joined in a clover shape

compound leaf
  • Specialized
5.4

A flat plant part divided into several small leaflets joined to one stalk

cordate leaf
  • Specialized
7.0

A leaf shaped like a heart with a notch at its base

crenate leaf
  • Specialized
8.3

A leaf with rounded small teeth along its edge

cuneate leaf
  • Specialized
8.6

A leaf with a narrow base that looks like a wedge

curled leaf pondweed
  • Specialized
9.9

A water plant with long curly leaves that grow under water in ponds and lakes

decompound leaf
  • Specialized
8.9

A leaf with leaflets that are divided again into smaller leaflets

deltoid leaf
  • Specialized
7.5

A leaf shaped like a triangle with a broad base and pointed tip

dentate leaf
  • Specialized
7.9

A leaf with teeth along the edge like a saw

denticulate leaf
  • Specialized
9.4

A leaf with very small teeth along its edge

7.8

A hinged part of a table you lift to make more space

A table with sides that fold down to save space and lift up to make it larger

elliptic leaf
  • Specialized
6.9

A leaf shaped like a long oval that is widest in the middle and narrows equally to each end

elongate leaf
  • Specialized
5.6

A long thin leaf that is much longer than it is wide

emarginate leaf
  • Specialized
9.1

A leaf with a shallow notch at the tip

ensiform leaf
  • Specialized
9.9

A long narrow leaf shaped like a sword

entire leaf
  • Specialized
6.7

A leaf with a smooth edge and no teeth or notches

erose leaf
  • Specialized
9.9

A leaf with jagged, uneven edges that look chewed

abruptly-pinnate leaf
  • Specialized
9.4

A leaf with leaflets along a central stalk that ends with a pair at the tip

acerate leaf
  • Specialized
9.8

A thin leaf shaped like a needle on pine trees

acuminate leaf
  • Specialized
9.1

A leaf that becomes narrower and ends in a long thin point

amplexicaul leaf
  • Specialized
9.9

A leaf whose base wraps around the stem

even-pinnate leaf
  • Specialized
7.5

A leaf with pairs of leaflets along a central stem and no single leaflet at the tip

2.7

A large lobed leaf from a fig tree

floral leaf
  • Specialized
6.1

A part of a flower that looks like a petal or sepal

A plant with large soft woolly leaves and tall spikes of yellow flowers

A small yellow insect with four black stripes on its back that feeds on plants

lanceolate leaf
  • Specialized
8.2

A long narrow leaf that is widest in the middle and pointed at both ends

9.9

A disease of evergreen trees like pines that makes their needles fall early

A problem that makes a plant's leaves sick or damaged

9.1

A layer of fat around a pig's kidneys used to make lard

5.6

The shape of a plant leaf that helps identify species

leaf insect
  • Indian
6.3

An insect that looks like a leaf to hide among leaves

A small brightly colored beetle that eats plant leaves and whose young damage roots and stems

3.5

A vegetable with large green leaves and thick stalks that people grow for its edible stems and leaves

A broad flat part of a leaf that is not the stalk

A plant disease that makes leaves turn brown and fall early

3.5

A small part on a branch that grows into leaves not flowers

leaf miner
  • Specialized
7.1

A baby insect that lives inside leaves and makes pale tunnels or spots

A green leafy vegetable with spicy leaves used in cooking

A bee that cuts pieces from leaves to make its nest

A bee that cuts small pieces from leaves or flowers to build its nest

A large insect that sucks plant sap and has leaflike hind legs

A large insect that feeds on plant juices and has leaf-shaped parts on its back legs

leaf node
  • Specialized
7.0

A small bump on a stem where leaves grow

leaf roller
  • Specialized
8.4

A small moth whose caterpillars roll leaves and tie them with silk to make a nest

leaf scorch
  • Specialized
7.6

Leaves with brown edges that look burned from heat, drought or poor watering

leaf soil
  • Specialized
3.8

Earth made from dead leaves that break down and help plants grow

How Supportive

culture medium
  • Specialized
1 4.1
soil
325 1.0
substrate
  • Specialized
3 7.3
leaf
178 1.0
bark
66 1.0
rock
1.0

Surface Forms

leaf singular
leaves plural

Etymology

Leaf first meant the flat green part of a plant and comes from an old English word for the same thing; imagine a thin green 'sheet' on a branch. That's why a leaf is the flat part that helps the plant make food by light.