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.
He dismisses the theory, also put forward by the KWS, that the cyanide might have come from a type of foliage, noting local livestock would have died as well.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
David Hockney, the towering British-born artist who made Los Angeles his home, turned the city’s landscapes filled with glittering pools, rolling hills and lush foliage into consequential art.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Because of the home’s hillside perch, the garden feels very much like a private, secret space, one that is surrounded by lush foliage that creates a natural wall around the outdoor area.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
The spring foliage hid its outline but not the signals from the electronic devices within.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
The ground began to slope downwards very slightly now, and although the clearings were much wider, the foliage got more tangled, in some places there were nettles and clinging ivy, as high as their knees.
From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill
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.
