leaf

I UK [liːf] / US [lɪf] noun
Word forms "leaf":
singular leaf plural leaves UK [liːvz] / US [lɪvz]
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1) [countable] a flat thin green part of a tree or plant that grows on a branch or stem

A light breeze stirred the leaves of the tall oak tree outside her window.

falling/autumn leaves

be in leaf (= have produced leaves in spring):

The trees were already in leaf.

come into leaf (= start to produce leaves in spring):

The hedgerows were just coming into leaf.

2) [countable] a sheet of paper, especially in a book

leaf of:

a leaf of paper

one of the leaves of a book

3) [countable] a part of a table that you can swing up into position or add to the table to make it bigger

4) [uncountable] metal, especially gold or silver, in very thin sheets, used as a decoration

See:

gold leaf

•

take a leaf out of/from someone's book — to copy what someone else does because they are successful at doing it

They should take a leaf out of industry's book and pay both management and staff on results.

- turn over a new leaf

See:

shake I

II UK [liːf] / US [lɪf] verb
Word forms "leaf":
present tense I/you/we/they leaf he/she/it leafs present participle leafing past tense leafed past participle leafed

Phrasal verbs:

- leaf through