leaf 1 S2 W2 / lif / 名词 ( 复数形式 leaves / livz / )

1 plant [可数名词] one of the flat green parts of a plant that are joined to its stem or branches :

a flowering bush with large shiny leaves

leaf of

Add a few leaves of fresh basil to the salad.

be in leaf/come into leaf (= have or start growing leaves, at a particular time of year )

The forest was just coming into leaf.

2 take a leaf out of sb’s book to copy the way someone else behaves because you want to be like them or be as successful as they are :

They are committing $3m to research. We could take a leaf out of their book.

3 turn over a new leaf to change the way you behave and become a better person :

I see fatherhood as a chance to turn over a new leaf.

4 page [可数名词] formal a page of a book :

He slipped the letter between the leaves of his notebook. → loose-leaf , overleaf

5 part of table [可数名词] a part of the top of a table that can be taken out to make the table smaller

→ shake like a leaf at shake 1 ( 2 )

COLLOCATIONS

动词

the leaves turn red/brown etc (= become red, brown etc ) The maple leaves had turned a fiery red.

the leaves fall All the leaves had fallen off the tree.

a tree loses/sheds its leaves (= the leaves come off the tree ) Most trees shed their leaves in the autumn.

sweep (up) the leaves (= tidy away fallen leaves using a brush ) Jack was sweeping leaves in the back garden.

ADJECTIVES/NOUN + leaf

a green/brown/yellow etc leaf the deep green leaves of the coconut trees

a dead leaf The ground beneath the tree was covered in dead leaves.

fallen leaves (= that have fallen off the trees ) The children were jumping in piles of fallen leaves.

autumn leaves ( also fall leaves American English ) (= leaves that have changed colour or fallen in autumn ) I love the colours of the autumn leaves.

an oak/vine/spinach etc leaf (= a leaf from a specific plant or tree ) Vine leaves stuffed with rice is a typical Greek dish.

短语

be in leaf especially literary (= have leaves ) By this time, most of the trees were in leaf.

come into leaf (= start having leaves ) The apple tree had finally come into leaf.