Wiktionary

leaven

English

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WOTD – 22 November 2009

Etymology

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From Middle English levayn, borrowed from Old French levain, from Vulgar Latin *levāmen, a noun based on Latin levō (“raise”).

Pronunciation

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  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈlɛv.ən/, [ˈlɛvn̩]
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛvən

Noun

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leaven (countable and uncountable, plural leavens)

  1. Any agent used to make dough rise or to have a similar effect on baked goods.
  2. (figurative) Anything that induces change, especially a corrupting or vitiating change.

Synonyms

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Hypernyms

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Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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leaven (third-person singular simple present leavens, present participle leavening, simple past and past participle leavened)

  1. (transitive) To add a leavening agent.
  2. (transitive) To cause to rise by fermentation.
  3. (transitive, figuratively) To temper an action or decision.
    • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
      Duke. No more euasion:
      We haue with a leauen'd, and prepared choice
      Proceeded to you; therefore take your honors:[...]
    • 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii:
      With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get […]
  4. (transitive, figuratively) To imbue; to infect; to vitiate.
    • 1649, John Milton, Eikonoklastes‎[1], London, published 1756, page 30:
      With these and the like deceivable doctrines, he levens also his prayer.
    • 1716, Thomas Browne, edited by Samuel Johnson, Christian Morals‎[2], 2nd edition, London: J. Payne, published 1756, Part I, p. 7:
      […] pursue virtue virtuously: leven not good actions, nor render virtues disputable. Stain not fair acts with foul intentions […]
  5. To rise or become larger; to prove. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Alternative forms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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German

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Etymology

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From English leave +‎ -en.

Verb

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leaven (third-person singular present leavt, past tense leavte, past participle geleaved or geleavt, auxiliary haben or sein)

  1. (slang, gaming, otherwise rare) to leave
    Synonym: quitten

West Frisian

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Noun

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leaven

  1. plural of leaf
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