Leaven Definition

lĕvən
leavened, leavening, leavens
noun
leavens
A small piece of fermenting dough put aside to be used for producing fermentation in a fresh batch of dough.
Webster's New World
An element, influence, or agent that works subtly to lighten, enliven, or modify a whole.
American Heritage

Leavening.

Webster's New World

Leavening.

Webster's New World
(figuratively) Anything that makes a general assimilating (especially a corrupting) change in the mass.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
verb
leavened, leavening, leavens
To add a rising agent to.
American Heritage
To make (batter or dough) rise before or during baking by means of a leavening agent.
Webster's New World
To cause to rise, especially by fermentation.
American Heritage
To spread through, causing a gradual change.
Webster's New World
To pervade with a lightening, enlivening, or modifying influence.
American Heritage
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Leaven

Noun

Singular:
leaven
Plural:
leavens

Origin of Leaven

  • Middle English from Old French levain from Vulgar Latin levāmen from Latin levāre to raise legwh- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English levain, from Old French, from Late Latin levamen, instead of levamentum, ultimately from Latin levō (“I raise").

    From Wiktionary

Leaven Sentence Examples

  • On the other hand, the absence of leaven may recall primitive practice before its introduction as a domestic luxury; sacral rites generally keep alive primitive custom.

  • No leaven shall be eaten with it for seven days, and bread of affliction shall be eaten because they came forth from Egypt in haste.

  • It began to bear fruit in Christian mysticism, and to diffuse a new magical leaven through the worship of the church.

  • The "Holy Leaven" is reputed to be a part of the original bread of the first Eucharist, brought by Addai and Mari' and maintained ever since in the Church; it is used in the confection of the Eucharistic wafers, which are rather thicker than those used in the Western Church.

  • Its realization was delayed by the wars that devastated the country down to the overthrow of Maximilian, but the leaven was at work, and with the return of peace a marked increase in the number of primary and secondary schools was noted.

More Sentences

Related Articles

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to leaven using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

LLELEA

Words Ending With

NENVEN

Unscrambles

leaven

Words Starting With L and Ending With N

Starts With L & Ends With NStarts With LE & Ends With NStarts With L & Ends With EN

Word Length

6 Letter Words6 Letter Words Starting With L6 Letter Words Ending With N