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• leaf
  leaf

  noun

  one of the expanded, usually green organs borne by the stem of a plant.
• Leaf
  Leaf

  noun

  Munro 1905–76, U.S. author and illustrator of books for children.

leaf

¹ American  

[leef] / lif /

noun

• leaves
  plural

1. one of the expanded, usually green organs borne by the stem of a plant.

2. any similar or corresponding lateral outgrowth of a stem.

3. a petal.

   a rose leaf.

4. leaves collectively; foliage.

5. Bibliography. a unit generally comprising two printed, blank, or illustrated pages of a book, one on each side.

6. a thin sheet of metal.

   silver leaf.

7. a lamina or layer.

8. a sliding, hinged, or detachable flat part, as of a door or tabletop.

9. a section of a drawbridge.

10. a single strip of metal in a leaf spring.

11. a tooth of a small gear wheel, as of a pinion.

12. leaf fat.

13. Textiles. shaft.

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verb (used without object)

• leafs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• leafed,
  past participle,  past
• leafing
  present participle

1. to put forth leaves.

2. to turn pages, especially quickly (usually followed bythrough ).

   to leaf through a book.

verb (used with object)

• leafs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• leafed,
  past participle,  past
• leafing
  present participle

1. to thumb or turn, as the pages of a book or magazine, in a casual or cursory inspection of the contents.

idioms

1. in leaf, covered with foliage; having leaves.

   the pale green tint of the woods newly in leaf.

2. take a leaf out of / from someone's book, to follow someone's example; imitate.

   Some countries that took a leaf out of American industry's book are now doing very well for themselves.

3. turn over a new leaf, to begin anew; make a fresh start.

   Every New Year's we make resolutions to turn over a new leaf.

Leaf ² American  

[leef] / lif /

noun

1. Munro 1905–76, U.S. author and illustrator of books for children.

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leaf British  

/ liːf /

noun

1. the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants, usually consisting of a flat green blade attached to the stem directly or by a stalk

2. foliage collectively

3. (of shrubs, trees, etc) having a full complement of foliage leaves

4. one of the sheets of paper in a book

5. a hinged, sliding, or detachable part, such as an extension to a table

6. metal in the form of a very thin flexible sheet

   gold leaf

7. a foil or thin strip of metal in a composite material; lamina

8. short for leaf spring

9. the inner or outer wall of a cavity wall

10. a crop that is harvested in the form of leaves

11. a metal strip forming one of the laminations in a leaf spring

12. a slang word for marijuana

13. to imitate someone, esp in one particular course of action

14. to begin a new and improved course of behaviour

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verb

1. to turn (through pages, sheets, etc) cursorily

2. (intr) (of plants) to produce leaves

leaf Scientific  

/ lēf /

1. An appendage growing from the stem of a plant. Leaves are extremely variable in form and function according to species. For example, the needles of pine trees, the spines of cacti, and the bright red parts of the poinsettia plant are all leaves modified for different purposes. However, most leaves are flat and green and adapted to capturing sunlight and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. They consist of an outer tissue layer (the epidermis) through which water and gases are exchanged, a spongy inner layer of cells that contain chloroplasts, and veins that supply water and minerals and carry out food. Some leaves are simple, while others are compound, consisting of multiple leaflets. The flat part of the leaf, the blade, is often attached to the stem by a leafstalk.

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leaf More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing leaf

• quake in one's boots (like a leaf)
• take a leaf out of someone's book
• turn over a new leaf

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• leaflessness
  noun
• unleaf
  verb (used with object)
• leafless
  adjective
• leaflike
  adjective
• unleaflike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• leaves
  plural

Participles

• leafing
  present
• leafed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• leaf
  simple
• leafs
  simple
• have leafed
  perfect
• has leafed
  perfect
• am leafing
  progressive
• are leafing
  progressive
• is leafing
  progressive
• have been leafing
  perfect progressive
• has been leafing
  perfect progressive

Past

• leafed
  simple
• had leafed
  perfect
• was leafing
  progressive
• were leafing
  progressive
• had been leafing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will leaf
  simple
• will have leafed
  perfect
• will be leafing
  progressive
• will have been leafing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of leaf

First recorded before 900; Middle English leef, lef, Old English lēaf; cognate with Dutch loof, German Laub, Old Norse lauf, Gothic laufs

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Explanation

A leaf is part of a plant that's usually green and attached to it by a stem or stalk. In the fall, the leaves of many trees turn various bright colors before falling to the ground. In the spring, trees grow new leaves. Ahhh, the circle of life. A plant's leaves are the organs that take part in photosynthesis, which brings it needed nutrients. From this botanical meaning comes another definition of leaf, "a sheet of printed paper or a page in a book." And when you leaf through a book, you turn its pages. You might also "tremble like a leaf," or shake with fear; or "turn over a new leaf," start a new part of your life with new resolutions or attitudes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

leaf Leaf leaves leafs leafed leafing

Taking a leaf from Francis's book, Leo has put the poor and marginalized at the center of his papacy.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

It opens with bright aromas of fresh cherry, plum and tobacco leaf.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

The Economist magazine decided to put Carney on their cover, on this week of weeks for Canada, with a perfect red maple leaf between his teeth.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Pattersonreceived several medals for his service and achievements, according to the Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs, including the Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

Nyla waves a thin arm in front of her, and one of her hands passes through a projected elephant-ear leaf.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

The 2026 Nissan Leaf has a starting price of $29,990, and the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt starts at $28,995.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

The Knicks won that night at the Maple Leaf Gardens arena, defeating the Toronto Huskies 68-66.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

The missing Indians were in the country with three travel agencies: Samrat Tours & Travels, Leaf Holiday and Himalayan Glacier.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

"Sales are taking much longer and it is proving increasingly difficult to generate commitment," said Jeremy Leaf, a estate agent in north London.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

One crew did the exterior renovations on what had once been the small Ohio city’s most magnificent building, the Gold Leaf Bank.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

Perhaps those kinds of stores are more profitable and thus will beat out small businesses in the long run, but it leaves you missing something.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Acting as her friend’s stand-in grants Minnie the confidence she never had but leaves Barbara out in the cold.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

That timeline leaves a limited window to evaluate potential solutions, develop a mission, and carry it out before the telescope descends too far.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

The selection of mogging as word of the year, he said, "shows how each generation leaves its mark on language".

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

With only two days left to go before the Reyes family leaves, it seems there is no other option.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

It’s a broadleaf weed that grows in colonies or large groups and have seed leafs that are round and oval with sparse stinging hairs.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2023

At his seaside home in Sonoma County, he leafs through a binder filled with his research, including two early papers that have been cited an astonishing number of times by other researchers.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 30, 2022

A refined take on stone fruit, Ms. Kiss’s amethyst “plums” are accented by delicate leafs made of gold.

From New York Times ● Nov. 23, 2021

Walking with Gregory6 in bare treed October ash woods—winds blowing brown sere leafs at feet—talking of dead Jack—the sky an old familiar place with fragrant eyebrow clouds passing overhead in Fall Current—

From The New Yorker ● Oct. 20, 2019

She leafs through them, going “Oh, my” at the particularly good ones.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

While Steve’s dad leafed through documents and letters—stopping to exclaim or lament a bit—and Steve went through still more photos, I dug through his late mom’s sewing supplies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025

Standing in the chill before the courthouse opened, Macias leafed through the petition detailing her husband’s psychiatric history.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2024

During moments of rest, he leafed through a diary, written longhand by a Russian soldier: “I’ve been at war for four weeks already and I miss my mom,” Courier read.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2023

“It’s a different scenario now,” said Ms. Schlein, who had the professorial air of her professor parents as she leafed through newspapers.

From New York Times ● Mar. 4, 2023

With shaking hands, she leafed through the fat suburban phone book until she found the number for the Stokeses in Thompson Park who supposedly lived on Aspen Avenue.

From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson

I imagine Dickinson leafing through her copy of Emerson’s “Poems” with Newton in mind.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Spend enough time cooking — or leafing through cookbooks in bed — and you notice certain ingredients keep reaching for one another.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

Leo Kelly—a devout Christian Iowan who was seen ascending the Senate dais, leafing through sensitive documents, and praying in the chamber—described it as “a blessing.”

From Slate ● May 28, 2026

Trees only delay leafing after actual infestations, which prevents insects from adapting to the change over time.

From Science Daily ● May 5, 2026

With Alfie on one side and Nero on the other, he was leafing through Lassie, studying the pictures.

From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn

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