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
Add combined oyster liquor and chicken broth, bay leaf, and a handful of chopped green parts of green onions, and bring to a low boil.
From Salon • Nov. 7, 2024
Back in 2016, Kelly Conaboy wrote for The Awl: "What does a bay leaf taste like? Nothing. What does a bay leaf smell like? Nothing. What does a bay leaf look like? A leaf."
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
I filled my bag with a dried bay leaf, a shiny new penny, a piece of pecan tree bark, and a handful of salt.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
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.
