leaf

[ leef ]
/ lif /

noun, plural leaves [leevz] /livz/.

verb (used without object)

to put forth leaves.
to turn pages, especially quickly (usually followed by through): to leaf through a book.

verb (used with object)

to thumb or turn, as the pages of a book or magazine, in a casual or cursory inspection of the contents.

Idioms for leaf

Origin of leaf

before 900; Middle English leef, lef, Old English lēaf; cognate with Dutch loof, German Laub, Old Norse lauf, Gothic laufs

OTHER WORDS FROM leaf

leaf·less, adjective leaf·like, adjective un·leaf, verb (used with object) un·leaf·like, adjective

Words nearby leaf

leadsman, leadville, leadwort, leadwort family, leady, leaf, leaf beetle, leaf blight, leaf blotch, leaf bud, leaf butterfly

British Dictionary definitions for take a leaf out of someone's book

leaf
/ (liːf) /

noun plural leaves (liːvz)

verb

(when intr, usually foll by through) to turn (through pages, sheets, etc) cursorily
(intr) (of plants) to produce leaves

Derived forms of leaf

leafless, adjective leaflessness, noun leaflike, adjective

Word Origin for leaf

Old English; related to Gothic laufs, Icelandic lauf

Scientific definitions for take a leaf out of someone's book

leaf
[ lēf ]

An appendage growing from the stem of a plant. Leaves are extremely variable in form and function according to species. For example, the needles of pine trees, the spines of cacti, and the bright red parts of the poinsettia plant are all leaves modified for different purposes. However, most leaves are flat and green and adapted to capturing sunlight and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. They consist of an outer tissue layer (the epidermis) through which water and gases are exchanged, a spongy inner layer of cells that contain chloroplasts, and veins that supply water and minerals and carry out food. Some leaves are simple, while others are compound, consisting of multiple leaflets. The flat part of the leaf, the blade, is often attached to the stem by a leafstalk.

Idioms and Phrases with take a leaf out of someone's book (1 of 2)

take a leaf out of someone's book

Imitate or follow someone's example, as in Harriet took a leaf out of her mother's book and began to keep track of how much money she was spending on food. This idiom alludes to tearing a page from a book. [c. 1800]

Idioms and Phrases with take a leaf out of someone's book (2 of 2)

leaf