foliage
Americannoun
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the leaves of a plant, collectively; leafage.
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leaves in general.
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the representation of leaves, flowers, and branches in painting, architectural ornament, etc.
noun
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the green leaves of a plant
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sprays of leaves used for decoration
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an ornamental leaflike design
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of foliage
1400–50; late Middle English foilage < Middle French fueillage, foillage, derivative of feuille leaf; influenced by Latin folium folium. See foil 2, -age
Explanation
Foliage refers to the leafy parts of a tree or plant. Don't eat the foliage on the rhubarb plant because the leaves are poisonous and eating them can be fatal; the stems, on the other hand, are tasty. The noun foliage refers to leaves — either individual leaves or the collective leafy canopy of many trees or plants. Every autumn, thousands of people drive through the New England countryside to view the fall foliage, enjoying the brilliant russet and gold leaves against a crisp blue sky. The jungle foliage, on the other hand, can be so dense that one may have to slice through it with a machete in order to pass through it.
Vocabulary lists containing foliage
November Words
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Similes from Top AP English Exam Novels
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Foliage plants go into a "semi-dormant state" as light levels lower during these months.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026
“Ah, Fall. Foliage, flatlanders, and frustration,” his website reads.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 12, 2025
Right above him, 47-year-old musician Marcos Villa faces a different problem: Foliage from a tree is growing out of his improvised bathroom.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2023
Kyle Cotner, who compiles The Foliage Report, which tracks fall colors nationwide, called California “a sneaky great fall foliage state.”
From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2022
Foliage turned yellow, plants failed to mature, and many crops were killed outright.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
