fig leaf
noun
the leaf of a fig tree.
a representation of a fig leaf, used as an ornament in architecture, as a cover for the genitalia on a statue or in a painting, etc.
something intended to conceal what may be considered indecorous or indecent: to approach the facts of life with the fig leaves of roundabout expressions.
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Origin of fig leaf
First recorded in 1525–35
Words nearby fig leaf
fifty-third, fifty-three, fifty-two, fiftypenny, fig, fig leaf, fig marigold, fig wart, fig wasp, fig-bird, fig.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for fig leaf
British Dictionary definitions for fig leaf
fig leaf
noun
a leaf from a fig tree
a representation of a leaf, usually a vine leaf rather than an actual fig leaf, used in painting or sculpture to cover the genitals of nude figures
a device intended to conceal something regarded as shameful or indecent
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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