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leaf

leaf

615 1.0
A flat green part of a plant that grows from a stem
  • noun
  • /liːf/
: 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
9 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
1 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

2 4.6

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

Copy what someone does to get the same results

Compounds

10 2.3

A dried leaf that flavors soups and stews

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

8 4.3

Very thin sheets of gold used to decorate objects and food

fig leaf
  • Informal
7 6.7

Something used to hide a wrong or embarrassing action

5 1.0

A dried leaf from the tea plant used to make a hot drink

4 2.7

A large lobed leaf from a fig tree

4 1.0

A broad leaf from an oak tree with deep rounded edges

3 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

maple-leaf
  • Canadian
1 3.3

A red leaf shape that represents Canada on its flag

1 7.3

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

leaf lard
  • Specialized
1 8.7

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

leaf spring
  • Specialized
1 6.4

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

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

1 6.7

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

1 4.0

A badge shaped like a leaf from an oak tree worn to show rank or honor

1 3.2

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

betel leaf
  • Indian
1 7.7

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

leaf miner
  • Specialized
1 7.1

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

A bat with a leaflike flap of skin on its nose that helps it find food at night

1 8.6

A small metal pin attached to a medal to show the person received that medal again

pinnate leaf
  • Specialized
1 7.1

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

1 9.1

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

leaf scorch
  • Specialized
1 7.6

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

1 3.5

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

1 7.0

A leaf from the sassafras tree that adds flavor to food and drinks

short-leaf pine
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A large pine tree with short needles that grows in the southern United States

1 6.7

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

1 3.2

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

1 6.8

A plant disease that makes leaves turn brown and fall early

1 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

big-leaf maple
  • Specialized
1 6.0

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

1 4.6

A leaf with deep cuts that make rounded or pointed parts, like an oak leaf

1 3.7

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

1 5.9

A leaf with edges like small saw teeth pointing toward the tip

compound leaf
  • Specialized
1 5.4

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

elliptic leaf
  • Specialized
1 6.9

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

A type of lettuce with loose leaves that do not form a head

oblong leaf
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A leaf longer than it is wide with nearly parallel sides and rounded ends

seed leaf
  • Specialized
1 5.5

First leaf or pair of leaves inside a seed that feed the young plant

1 9.9

A tree from tropical America with shiny leaves, hard wood, and small purple fruit

1 2.3

Gathering fallen leaves with a rake

leaf insect
  • Indian
1 6.3

An insect that looks like a leaf to hide among leaves

leaf node
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A small bump on a stem where leaves grow

simple leaf
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A single flat leaf blade not divided into leaflets

leaf roller
  • Specialized
1 8.4

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

1 3.5

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

1 9.1

A low plant with heart-shaped leaves that grows in shady places

palmate leaf
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A leaf with parts that spread from one point like an open hand

lanceolate leaf
  • Specialized
1 8.2

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

narrow-leaf cattail
  • Specialized
1 7.3

A tall marsh plant with long narrow leaves and a brown flower head

entire leaf
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A leaf with a smooth edge and no teeth or notches

floral leaf
  • Specialized
1 6.1

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

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

A small evergreen shrub or tree with spiny leaves and white flowers

ovate leaf
  • Specialized
1 6.4

A leaf shaped like an egg with the wider end at the base

1 9.0

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

1 5.6

The shape of a plant leaf that helps identify species

A bee that cuts pieces from leaves to make its nest

1 9.9

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

peltate leaf
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A round leaf with the stem attached near the middle, like a nasturtium leaf

single-leaf
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A pine tree with one needle per bundle that makes nuts people eat

deltoid leaf
  • Specialized
1 7.5

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

elongate leaf
  • Specialized
1 5.6

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

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

leaf-book
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A very old book made of loose pages rather than a scroll

1 9.1

A pale blotched desert snake with a short blunt nose from southwestern North America that is not dangerous to people

single-leaf pinyon
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A small pine tree with one needle in each group and edible nuts, native to the United States southwest

1 8.6

A plant with large soft leaves that feel like velvet

bijugate leaf
  • Specialized
9.9

A leaf that has two pairs of leaflets on its stalk

How Supportive

culture medium
  • Specialized
1 4.1
soil
336 1.0
substrate
  • Specialized
1 7.3
leaf
615 1.0
bark
69 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.