fig leaf
noun
the leaf of a fig tree.
a representation of a fig leaf, used as an ornament in architecture, as a cover for the genitalia on a statue or in a painting, etc.
something intended to conceal what may be considered indecorous or indecent: to approach the facts of life with the fig leaves of roundabout expressions.
Origin of fig leaf
First recorded in 1525–35
Words nearby fig leaf
fifty-third,
fifty-three,
fifty-two,
fiftypenny,
fig,
fig leaf,
fig marigold,
fig wart,
fig wasp,
fig-bird,
fig.
Example sentences from the Web for fig leaf
British Dictionary definitions for fig leaf
fig leaf
noun
a leaf from a fig tree
a representation of a leaf, usually a vine leaf rather than an actual fig leaf, used in painting or sculpture to cover the genitals of nude figures
a device intended to conceal something regarded as shameful or indecent