hinged or detachable flat section (as of a table or door)
"Please close that heavy leaf on the folding screen before we let anyone in."
The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants.
"The gardener carefully watered each leaf to ensure the young saplings would grow strong and healthy."
In plain English: A leaf is the flat, green part of a plant that grows on its stem and helps it make food from sunlight.
"She picked a red leaf from the oak tree."
Usage: Use "leaf" to refer to the broad, flat part of a plant attached to a stem by a petiole. Do not use it as a verb meaning to turn pages or flip through something; instead, use "page" or "turn."
produce leaves, of plants
"The maple tree begins to leaf early every spring before any other plant in the garden."
To produce leaves; put forth foliage.
"The old oak tree finally began to leaf out after surviving the harsh winter frost."
In plain English: To leaf means to turn over the pages of a book quickly without reading them carefully.
"She decided to leaf through the magazine before dinner."
Usage: The everyday meaning of the verb "leaf" is to turn the pages of a book or magazine quickly and casually. Do not use this word to describe plants growing foliage, as that is its less common botanical definition.
A surname.
"My neighbor, who is a botanist named Leaf, always warns us about the early signs of rust on our garden plants."
The word "leaf" comes from Old English and originally meant a piece of foliage. Its root traces back to an ancient concept meaning "to cut off," reflecting how leaves are separated from branches.