Meaning of "leaf" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD LEAF

Old English; related to Gothic laufs, Icelandic lauf.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF LEAF

leaf  [liːf]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF LEAF

Leaf is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb leaf in English.

WHAT DOES LEAF MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Leaf

A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, and is the principal appendage of the vascular plant stem. The leaves and stem together form the shoot. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves collectively. Typically a leaf is a thin, dorsiventrally flattened organ, borne above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Most leaves have distinctive upper and lower surfaces that differ in colour, hairiness, the number of stomata and other features. The palisade mesophyll almost always occurs on the upper side of the blade or lamina of the leaf but in some species, including the mature foliage of Eucalyptus palisade occurs on both sides and the leaves are said to be isobilateral. Many types of leaves are adapted in ways almost unrecognisable in those terms: some are not flat, some are not above ground, and some are without major photosynthetic function. Furthermore, several kinds of leaf-like structures found in vascular plants are not totally homologous with them. Examples include phyllodes, cladodes, and phylloclades that differ from leaves in their structure and origin.

Definition of leaf in the English dictionary

The first definition of leaf in the dictionary is 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 related adjectives foliar foliate. Other definition of leaf is foliage collectively. Leaf is also one of the sheets of paper in a book.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO LEAF

PRESENT

Present

I leaf

you leaf

he/she/it leafs

we leaf

you leaf

they leaf

Present continuous

I am leafing

you are leafing

he/she/it is leafing

we are leafing

you are leafing

they are leafing

Present perfect

I have leafed

you have leafed

he/she/it has leafed

we have leafed

you have leafed

they have leafed

Present perfect continuous

I have been leafing

you have been leafing

he/she/it has been leafing

we have been leafing

you have been leafing

they have been leafing

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I leafed

you leafed

he/she/it leafed

we leafed

you leafed

they leafed

Past continuous

I was leafing

you were leafing

he/she/it was leafing

we were leafing

you were leafing

they were leafing

Past perfect

I had leafed

you had leafed

he/she/it had leafed

we had leafed

you had leafed

they had leafed

Past perfect continuous

I had been leafing

you had been leafing

he/she/it had been leafing

we had been leafing

you had been leafing

they had been leafing

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will leaf

you will leaf

he/she/it will leaf

we will leaf

you will leaf

they will leaf

Future continuous

I will be leafing

you will be leafing

he/she/it will be leafing

we will be leafing

you will be leafing

they will be leafing

Future perfect

I will have leafed

you will have leafed

he/she/it will have leafed

we will have leafed

you will have leafed

they will have leafed

Future perfect continuous

I will have been leafing

you will have been leafing

he/she/it will have been leafing

we will have been leafing

you will have been leafing

they will have been leafing

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would leaf

you would leaf

he/she/it would leaf

we would leaf

you would leaf

they would leaf

Conditional continuous

I would be leafing

you would be leafing

he/she/it would be leafing

we would be leafing

you would be leafing

they would be leafing

Conditional perfect

I would have leaf

you would have leaf

he/she/it would have leaf

we would have leaf

you would have leaf

they would have leaf

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been leafing

you would have been leafing

he/she/it would have been leafing

we would have been leafing

you would have been leafing

they would have been leafing

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you leaf
we let´s leaf
you leaf

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to leaf

Past participle

leafed

Present Participle

leafing

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «LEAF»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «leaf» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of leaf

blade · bract · bud · cotyledon · flag · folio · foliole · frond · green · needle · pad · page · sheet

TRANSLATION OF LEAF

Find out the translation of leaf to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of leaf from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «leaf» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 树叶
• Translator English - Spanish: hoja
• English: leaf
• Translator English - Hindi: पत्ता
• Translator English - Arabic: وَرَقَةٌ
• Translator English - Russian: лист
• Translator English - Portuguese: folha
• Translator English - Bengali: গাছের পাতা
• Translator English - French: feuille
• Translator English - Malay: daun
• Translator English - German: Blatt
• Translator English - Japanese: 葉
• Translator English - Korean: 잎
• Translator English - Javanese: Godhong
• Translator English - Vietnamese: chiếc lá
• Translator English - Tamil: இலை
• Translator English - Marathi: पाने
• Translator English - Turkish: Yaprak
• Translator English - Italian: foglia
• Translator English - Polish: liść
• Translator English - Ukrainian: листок
• Translator English - Romanian: frunză
• Translator English - Greek: φύλλο
• Translator English - Afrikaans: blaar
• Translator English - Swedish: blad
• Translator English - Norwegian: blad

10 QUOTES WITH «LEAF»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word leaf.

1

Freda Adler

The type of fig leaf which each culture employs to cover its social taboos offers a twofold description of its morality. It reveals that certain unacknowledged behavior exists and it suggests the form that such behavior takes.

2

Jay Baruchel

I have a maple leaf tattoo over my heart, quite literally, and my two favorite things on Earth are being in Canada and making movies.

3

Saul Bellow

I've never turned over a fig leaf yet that didn't have a price tag on the other side.

4

Janine Benyus

There are three types of biomimicry - one is copying form and shape, another is copying a process, like photosynthesis in a leaf, and the third is mimicking at an ecosystem's level, like building a nature-inspired city.

5

Hal Borland

October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again.

6

James Boswell

I suppose no person ever enjoyed with more relish the infusion of this fragrant leaf than did Johnson.

7

Candace Bushnell

I'm the kind of person who would have liked to have lived at the Plaza. I love crystal chandeliers and gold leaf, velvets and mirrors, Oriental rugs and marble.

8

Albert Camus

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

9

Robert Cecil

Faith makes all evil good to us, and all good better; unbelief makes all good evil, and all evil worse. Faith laughs at the shaking of the spear; unbelief trembles at the shaking of a leaf.

10

Tryon Edwards

One of the great lessons the fall of the leaf teaches, is this: do your work well and then be ready to depart when God shall call.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «LEAF»

Discover the use of leaf in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to leaf and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf

A child describes the growth of a maple tree from seed to sapling.

Lois Ehlert, 1991

As a Driven Leaf

Relates the story of Elish ben Abuyah, a talmudic rabbi who turns to Greek philosophy in his search for a rational explanation for religious faith, is excommunicated by the Sanhedrin, and betrays his former associates in the rabbinate to ...

Milton Steinberg, 1987

Olive Leaf Extract

Details a compouond taken from Olive leves called Oleurupein that has disease resistant properties and that is effective in treating such afflictions as HIV, influenza, sore throats, pneumonia, infections and much more, in an informative ...

Morton Walker, 1997

Leaf Man

Come along on a journey with a man made of leaves.

Lois Ehlert, 2005

A New Leaf: The End of Cannabis Prohibition

In the first book to explore the new landscape of cannabis in the United States, investigative journalists Alyson Martin and Nushin Rashidian present a deeply researched, insightful story of how recent developments tie into cannabis’s ...

Alyson Martin, Nushin Rashidian, 2013

Leaf

After a boy runs from getting a haircut, a bird drops a seed on his head which starts to grow, so instead of trying to rid himself of his new living hairstyle, the boy learns how to make the leaf grow and in turn, winds up growing a lot ...

‎2009

Simply Tea Leaf Reading

This latest volume in the indispensable Simply series takes you from tea sipper to fortune teller almost effortlessly.

Jacqueline Towers, 2008

How Like a Leaf: An Interview with Thyrza Nichols Goodeve

The author of four seminal works on science and culture, Donna Haraway here speaks for the first time in a direct and non-academic voice. How Like a Leaf will be a welcome inside view of the author's thought.

Donna Jeanne Haraway, Thyrza Nichols Goodeve, 2000

Loose-Leaf Bible with Binder-ESV

There's plenty of room to take sermon or study notes on the text pages, which fit both three-and five-ring binders.- 8.5 x 11 inch, 5-hole punched pages, including blank pages - Sturdy, 11 x 11.5 x 2.75 inch, five-ring binder - Pages also ...

Hendrickson Publishing, ANONIMO, 2009

Look What I Did with a Leaf!

Provides examples of different kinds of animals that can be made out of leaves and suggests various uses for the finished product.

‎1995

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «LEAF»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term leaf is used in the context of the following news items.

Can a fig leaf cover the carcass of an elephant? – Sakmongkol AK47

So the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has decided to block off Sarawak Report. The website is now ... «The Malaysian Insider, Jul 15»

4 Minutes with… Dr Marc Sabourin, EVP Business Development …

Leaf Resources is a process technology company, providing economical biobased solutions for commercial production of cellulosic sugars and ... «Biobased Digest, Jul 15»

British Capital portfolio adds to growing Atlantic Leaf asset base - SA …

Atlantic Leaf Properties reports adjusted headline earnings per share of 1.76 pence for the first quarter to May 2015. File Photo: Paul ... «SA Commercial Prop News, Jul 15»

James Reimer: Is 2015-2016 His Last As a Maple Leaf?

James Reimer has endured the cheers and jeers from the crowd at the ACC over the last five seasons. Is this his last season in blue and white? «Editor In Leaf, Jul 15»

RE-LEAF: If you want a fall harvest, prepare now - Odessa American …

Get re-leaf by planning for fall tomatoes, in the heat of summer. >> Debbie Frost is a local horticulturist specializing in regionally appropriate ... «Odessa American, Jul 15»

Ariff Sabri: Fig leaf can't cover Najib's shame | Free Malaysia Today

Ariff Sabri: Fig leaf can't cover Najib's shame. Lin KayKay. | July 20, 2015. The mounting scandals are like the carcass of an elephant which no leaf can cover ... «Free Malaysia Today, Jul 15»

Toronto Maple Leafs Still Have Unanswered Questions - Editor In Leaf

The season has ended, the Stanley Cup has been won, the draft has taken place and most of the free agents have been signed – a lot by the ... «Editor In Leaf, Jul 15»

Loose-leaf tea resurging in popularity - British Columbia - CBC News

There are many gourmet loose-leaf tea shops in shopping malls and tea parties regularly make the entertainment listings in the Lower ... «CBC.ca, Jul 15»

MYSTERY PLANT: Mystery plant can be a substitute for bay leaf

Photo by Linda Lee The leaves of this mystery plant are evergreen, lustrous on the upper surface, and equipped with a thin blanket of crinkled ... «Aiken Standard, Jul 15»

Commerce Ministry holds talks with stakeholders on tea-leaf pricing …

Senior officials of the Union Commerce Ministry held a meeting of the stakeholders of the tea industry, especially those pertaining to the tea ... «The Hindu, Jul 15»