leaf

LEEF/liːf/

18 meanings of leaf

1
plant partnouncountable or uncountable
One of the flat green parts that grow on a plant's stems and branches.
Like a small green flag growing out from a branch.
A single leaf fell from the maple tree.
In the fall, the leaves turn red and gold.
UsageOne leaf, two leaves.
2
nouncountable or uncountable
Any thin, flat thing that looks like a plant's leaf.
The baker shaped a small leaf out of icing for the cake.
Frost made tiny leaves of ice on the window.
3
book pagenouncountable or uncountable
One sheet of paper in a book, with a page on each side.
Like a single slice of bread in a loaf, with one flat side facing each way.
He tore a leaf out of his notebook to write a note.
Several leaves had come loose from the old book.
UsageUse turn over a new leaf to mean 'start again and behave better'.
Similarpage, sheet, folio
Note
4
nouncountable or uncountableplural
Dried leaves or bits of leaves from the tea plant, used to make tea.
She spooned some loose leaf into the warm teapot.
These leaves can be steeped twice without losing flavor.
UsageSay loose leaf tea.
5
thin sheetnouncountable or uncountable
A very thin sheet of metal or other material, made by beating or rolling it flat.
Like kitchen foil, but even thinner.
He pressed a thin leaf of gold onto the carving.
Workers applied delicate leaves of silver to the ceiling.
UsageSay gold leaf.
Similarfolium

Less common meanings

6
verbintransitive
To turn the pages of a book, magazine, or papers quickly, looking at bits here and there, usually with "through".
I like to leaf through the cookbooks at the library before I pick one.
She was leafing through a magazine while she waited for the dentist.
UsageSay she leafed through a book.
Similarflip, thumb, flick, skim, browse
Note
7
table extensionnouncountable or uncountable
A flat piece you add to a table, or fold up on hinges, to make it bigger.
We added a leaf to the table so everyone could sit down.
The dining table has two extra leaves for big dinners.
Similarextension, insert
8
weed (drug)nounslanguncountable
Marijuana, the dried cannabis plant used as a drug.
My uncle grows his own leaf now that it's legal.
He got caught with a bag of leaf in his car.
UsageIn formal writing, say cannabis.
Similarweed, grass, pot, herb, marijuana
9
spring stripnouncountable or uncountable
One of the flat, curved metal strips that stack together to form a spring in a vehicle.
Like a stack of thin rulers that bend together to hold up a heavy weight.
The mechanic replaced a cracked leaf in the truck's rear spring.
Each leaf is slightly longer than the one above it in the stack.
10
grow foliageverbintransitive
To grow new leaves.
The maple trees leaf in late spring.
By May the whole forest is leafing.
UsageYou can also say leaf out: The trees are leafing out.
Similarsprout, bud
Note
11
door panelnouncountable or uncountable
A flat part of a door or gate that swings or slides to open.
The heavy door has two leaves that open in the middle.
One leaf of the gate was stuck fast in the mud.
UsageSay a door has two leaves.
Similarpanel, wing
Note
12
end nodenouncountable or uncountable
In a tree-shaped diagram, a point that has nothing branching out below it.
Like the very tip of a branch on a real tree: nothing grows past it.
Every leaf in the diagram marks the end of a branch with nothing below it.
The search ends when it reaches a leaf and can go no deeper.
Note
13
pull apartverbtransitive
To pull a vegetable apart into its separate leaves.
Leaf the lettuce before you wash it.
All the lettuce at our salad bar is leafed by hand.
UsageThe past form is leafed, keeping the f.
Similarseparate
Note
14
pig fatnouncountable or uncountable
The layer of fat around a pig's kidneys, used to make lard.
The butcher set aside the leaf to render into lard.
Good pastry cooks prize the leaf from around the kidneys.
15
Canadian (nickname)nounslangpejorativehumorouscountable or uncountable
A joking, often insulting nickname for a Canadian, used online.
Some leaf in the chat kept apologizing for everything.
A couple of leafs were arguing about hockey online.
UsageUse leafs for more than one person.
SimilarCanuck
Note
16
gear toothnouncountable or uncountable
One of the small teeth on a gear wheel called a pinion.
A worn leaf on the pinion made the clock skip.
The watchmaker counted each tiny leaf on the gear.
Similartooth
17
noun
A number a program puts into a CPU register to ask the chip for one set of facts about itself.
18
verbcolloquial
To prank someone by throwing a big pile of leaves at them.

Practice

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Origin

From Old English lēaf, meaning leaf, through older Germanic words, possibly from an ancient root meaning 'to cut off'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

English leaf derives from Old English lēaf. en.wiktionary.org
Old English lēaf meant leaf. en.wiktionary.org
The word descends through older Germanic forms. en.wiktionary.org
The word possibly derives ultimately from an ancient root meaning 'to cut off'. en.wiktionary.org