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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

The man rushes to the garage, grabs a crate of tools and a leaf blower and gets back inside the vehicle, which then reverses and drives off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

But today is a day to vigorously wave the maple leaf flag.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

“When an aphid nibbles on a leaf, the volatile release attracts ladybirds in a very simplistic sense,” says Stuart Dixon, co-founder of the early-stage company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

I could not see a leaf anywhere on the dry gray branches.

From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen

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

Nissan introduced the third generation of its Leaf EV this year but has indefinitely delayed the import of the vehicle’s most affordable variant from Japan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 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

Thimble and Leaf and the rest of the witches they’d come with moved their fingers ever so slightly in the air on their way to Dimblewit and his witches.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Trees will be shedding leaves readily due to the rain and the brisk winds, and these could block drains - leading to localised flooding.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026

Its composition of a peacock among stylized flowers and leaves features a color palette not typically seen in Iznik pottery, including olive-gray and varied blue hues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2026

Huang’s departure leaves a hole, TD Cowen analysts led by Joshua Buchalter said in a note on Thursday.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 13, 2026

But that still leaves a wide range of possibilities before the current CBA expires on Dec. 1.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

A few moments after the maid leaves a new figure is approaching through the glass door—a boy several years younger than I am, thirteen or fourteen, pale and sallow-cheeked.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

He leafs through a paperback copy of “Chocolate for a Woman’s Heart” from a nearby bookshelf.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2023

A bascule bridge is a drawbridge with one or two leafs that open with an upward swing, giving river traffic unlimited clearance.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 24, 2022

After supper, Karzai said, he sometimes leafs through his old school books, partly to fend off feeling depressed, partly to see if he can retain some of his lessons.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 23, 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

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

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

At the airport, I leafed through the collection of mid-1800s botanical illustrations, unable to imagine a more appropriate souvenir.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025

Veteran journalers refilled matching Fujifilm photo printers, while newbies leafed through fresh sticker books.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2025

Back at my tiny Airbnb above a Chinese supermarket, I leafed through it.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 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

She pulled down a dictionary and leafed through it.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

A former NFL player named John Urschel decided to do some light reading this week, and for him that meant leafing through the latest math papers from OpenAI about topics such as the Riemann hypothesis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 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

Perhaps one of them would soon vanish into the book through which Mo was leafing so undecidedly.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

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Related Words

• frond
• needle
• petal
• stalk

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