bay leaf
Americannoun
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the dried leaf of the bay laurel, Laurus nobilis, used in cooking.
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the leaf of the bayberry, Pimenta racemosa, used in making bay oil and bay rum.
noun
Etymology
Origin of bay leaf
First recorded in 1630–40
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.
Generous hunks of vanilla bean dot her lemon marmalade; bay leaf infuses her blackberry jam.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025
There are so many latent flavors, nuances and aromas trapped in the bay leaf — let time and heat coax them out slowly.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2023
This is all to say: The bay leaf has been unfairly maligned.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2023
Add a big pinch of salt, several black peppercorns, the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2023
Hazel had picked a fresh bay leaf from a tree by the river and he had dropped it in.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
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.
