loose-leaf

American  

[loos-leef] / ˈlusˌlif /

adjective

1. (of a book, notebook, etc.) consisting of individual leaves held in a binder loose-leaf binder, as by rings that open and close, in such a way as to allow their removal, return, or replacement without tearing.

2. of or for use with a loose-leaf binder.

   loose-leaf paper.

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loose-leaf British  

adjective

1. (of a binder, album, etc) capable of being opened to allow removal and addition of pages

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noun

1. a serial publication published in loose leaves and kept in such a binder

Etymology

Origin of loose-leaf

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

The analysts turned to their loose-leaf binders, the ones with Soviet missile specs—secret information provided by Oleg Penkovsky, though they did not know the source.

From Literature

There are no matcha, lattes or novelty drinks on the menu, only loose-leaf tea sourced from Japan.

From Los Angeles Times

Ask your barista if they exclusively serve loose-leaf tea, tea bags, or freshly brewed tea in a pot.

From Salon

On the off-chance that they do order loose-leaf green tea, they request that the leaves be placed on the side: “This is usually when I get a green, so they don’t just pour scalding water on it, but it’s useful also with black teas, so you have an idea for how long they’ve steeped.”

From Salon

Skip the cafe line and make your own gourmet chai latte with Habit’s delicious loose-leaf chai tea blend, which is organic and fair trade.

From Los Angeles Times