leaven
noun
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L323160 on Wikidata ↗verb
- make rise by adding leaven, permeate with something to cause a change
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈlɛv.ən/ / [ˈlɛvn̩] / /ˈlev.ən/
noun
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-us Proto-Indo-European *h₁léngʰusder. ▲ Proto-Italic *breɣʷisinflu.? Proto-Italic *leɣʷis Latin levis Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin levō Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Italic *-mn̥ Latin -men Vulgar Latin *levāmender. Old French levainbor. Middle English levayn English leaven From Middle English levayn, borrowed from Old French levain, from Vulgar Latin *levāmen, a noun based on Latin levō (“raise”).
- Any agent used to make dough rise or to have a similar effect on baked goods.
- Anything that induces change, especially a corrupting or vitiating change.
“Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”
“On the far side was reflected a single red and meteoric cloud, which had treasured one last crimson ray from the sunset, or perhaps nursed within it the fiery leaven.”
- Chametz.
“On the fourteenth day of Nisan men search for leaven by candlelight.”
verb
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-us Proto-Indo-European *h₁léngʰusder. ▲ Proto-Italic *breɣʷisinflu.? Proto-Italic *leɣʷis Latin levis Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin levō Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Italic *-mn̥ Latin -men Vulgar Latin *levāmender. Old French levainbor. Middle English levayn English leaven From Middle English levayn, borrowed from Old French levain, from Vulgar Latin *levāmen, a noun based on Latin levō (“raise”).
- To add a leavening agent.
“Yeast is used to leaven bread, making it rise during baking.”
- To cause to rise by fermentation.
- To temper an action, decision, attitude, characteristic, etc.
“Duke. No more euasion: We haue with a leauen'd, and prepared choice Proceeded to you; therefore take your honors:[...]”
““A tinge of Jewish blood is not a bad thing. It leavens the”—she looked at him—“stolid stupidity of the ordinary Englishman.””
- To imbue; to infect; to vitiate.
“The comedian's jokes helped leaven the atmosphere during the serious meeting.”
“Her optimism seemed to leaven the otherwise tense environment.”
- To rise or become larger; to prove.