leaf
gb/lˈif/ us/lˈif/
A1
English
~ 1900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Flat green part of a plant
The flat green part of a plant that grows from the stem or branch.
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] leaf
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'leaf' with 'leave' because they sound similar but have different meanings and spellings.
Synonyms
foliage (Refers collectively to leaves, usually in large amounts or as a mass.)
Antonyms
stem (The main stalk of a plant, which is the opposite structural part from the leaf.)
Collocations
green leaf
|falling leaf
|maple leaf
|leaf shape
|leaf surface
Themes
nature
|biology
|daily life
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The maple tree's leaves turn bright red in autumn.
- A single yellow leaf floated down from the branch.
- She pressed the leaf between the pages of her book to preserve it.
- Each leaf on the plant absorbs sunlight for energy.
Learner examples
- The tree has many green leaves.
- A leaf fell on the ground.
- I see a big leaf on the table.
- She holds a leaf in her hand.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Thin sheet of paper or metal
A thin flat piece of paper, metal, or other material.
Usage pattern:
a leaf of [material]
Synonyms
sheet (General term for a flat piece of material, not limited to plants.)
Antonyms
block (A thick, solid piece of material, opposite in form to a thin sheet.)
Collocations
gold leaf
|silver leaf
|tobacco leaf
Themes
materials
|manufacturing
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The artist decorated the frame with gold leaf.
- He turned the delicate leaf of parchment carefully.
- Gold leaf is often used in fine art and decoration.
Learner examples
- The cake is covered with gold leaf.
- He uses silver leaf for the design.
- I turn the thin leaf of paper.
Noun
B2
entity
3
Page in a book or notebook
One sheet of paper in a book, with writing on both sides.
Usage pattern:
a leaf of [a book/notebook]
Synonyms
page (More common term for one side of a sheet; 'leaf' refers to the whole sheet with two pages.)
Collocations
title leaf
|fly leaf
Themes
books
|printing
|education
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He wrote his notes on the last leaf of his notebook.
- The title leaf contains the name of the book and author.
- Some leaves were missing from the old manuscript.
Learner examples
- I turn the leaf of my notebook.
- The book has many leaves.
- One leaf is missing from this book.
Verb
B1
action
4
Turn pages quickly without reading fully
To turn pages in a book quickly without reading all the words.
Usage pattern:
to leaf through [a book/magazine]
Synonyms
flip through (Informal and very common way to describe turning pages quickly.)
Antonyms
study (To read carefully and with attention, opposite in approach to 'leaf through'.)
Collocations
leaf through
Themes
reading
|daily life
|education
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She leafed through the magazine while waiting for her appointment.
- He leafed through the report to find the chart he needed.
- I like to leaf through old photo albums on rainy days.
Learner examples
- I leaf through my book before class.
- She leafs through a magazine in the shop.
- He likes to leaf through old photos.
Grammar
Dictionary form
leaf
IPA
GB/lˈif/
US/lˈif/
Syllables & stress
leaf (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (leaf)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: leaf
- Plural: leaf, leafs, leaves
Verb
- Base: leaf
- 3rd Person Singular: leafs
- Present Participle: leafing
- Past: leafed
Word family
Forms
leafs
noun
leaves
noun
leafing
verb
leafed
verb
Core family
leafy
adjective
Related words
leaflet
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
leafless
adjective
Expressions
leaf through
1/lˈif θɹˈu/
phrasal verb
Turn pages quickly without reading fully
To turn pages quickly in a book or magazine without reading all the words.
Examples
- He sat by the fire and leafed through an old photo album.
- I like to leaf through cookbooks for inspiration.
take a leaf out of someone's book
1/tˈeɪk ə lˈif ˈaʊt əv sˈʌmwˌʌnz bˈʊk/
idiom
Copy someone's behavior or example
To do something in the way someone else does it because you think it is good or right.
Examples
- You should take a leaf out of her book and arrive on time.
- He took a leaf out of his coach's book and trained every day.
turn over a new leaf
1/tˈɚn ˈoʊvɚ ə njˈu lˈif/
idiom
Start behaving better or differently
To start to behave in a better or different way than before.
Examples
- After moving to a new city, he decided to turn over a new leaf and focus on his studies.
- She promised to turn over a new leaf after the argument.