Word Frequency
leaven (ˈlɛvən
)
Definitions
noun
Also: leavening- any substance that produces fermentation in dough or batter, such as yeast, and causes it to rise
- a piece of such a substance kept to ferment a new batch of dough
- an agency or influence that produces a gradual change
verb
- to cause fermentation in (dough or batter)
- to pervade, causing a gradual change, esp with some moderating or enlivening influence
Derived Forms
ˈleavener nounWord Origin
C14: via Old French ultimately from Latin levāmen relief, (hence, raising agent, leaven), from levāre to raiseExample Sentences Including 'leaven'
But Copland, as always, manages to leaven his bombast with sweetness, and the Third is a fascinating, if dated, work.Globe and Mail (2003)
Early American pioneers, isolated from supplies in eastern cities, relied on sourdough to leaven their bread.Misc (1999)
The citation described his work as "the leaven in the dough of the business world".Times, Sunday Times (2002)
The crystals serve to leaven the relentlessness of the black volcanic rock.THE EARTH: An Intimate History (2004)
This author can be very funny, yet what jokes are here are heavy and the welcome leaven of wit is absent.Times, Sunday Times (2002)
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Comments
'leavener' definition based on an original suggestion by WordWorkerLesley made on 2012-07-17.
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