🍃 A tree leaf 🎖️ A badge shape

oak leaf

4.0

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

noun
/oʊk liːf/

: insignia de hoja de roble

So on each side they have this like oak leaf and acorn detail, and then to go on top of them, we got a pair of the leaf motif pedestals.

Examples

The medal is adorned with an oak leaf insignia, signifying the recipient's achievements.
The second oak leaf cluster represent the third medal, which was given for meditorious service.
Once leaving the assembly, a crowd put put oak leaves around him and carried him the city around the city in triumph.
The military uniform featured an oak leaf badge, representing honor and valor.
In the decoration of the hall, the oak leaf motif was beautifully engraved on the walls.

Synonyms

maple-leaf

vsoak leaf

Canadian

1 3.3

A red leaf shape that represents Canada on its flag

is used as a badge, insignia, or decorative motif rather than a national emblem

Surface Forms

oak leaf singular

oak leaves plural

Morphology

oak + leaf

The meaning is directly compositional: an 'oak leaf' is literally the leaf of an oak (or an object shaped like that leaf), so a B1 learner who knows 'oak' and 'leaf' can infer the sense. This follows a common English noun‑compound pattern found across languages, making it immediately comprehensible rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

Oak leaf is also used for a small badge shaped like the leaf of an oak tree because people long used the oak as a symbol of strength and honor. Small metal or embroidered oak leaves were put on uniforms to show rank or awards, so oak leaf can mean 'an object or symbol shaped like an oak leaf'.