leaven

C2 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /ˈlev.ən/ UK /ˈlɛv.ən/ See IPA manual

Freq #74646

Meanings

1

noun
A substance, such as yeast, added to dough to make it rise.

Bakers add leaven so the bread will rise as it bakes.
2

verb
To add a substance that makes dough rise.

Yeast is used to leaven bread during baking.
3

noun
An influence that subtly lightens or improves something.

The serious report benefited from a leaven of humour.
4

verb
To soften or brighten something serious with a lighter element.

The comedian's jokes helped leaven the tense atmosphere.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a substance, such as yeast,... leavening

2 verb · to add a substance that... raise

3 noun · an influence that subtly... leavening

Word family

Forms leavenedleavens

Derived forms leavenedleavenerleaveningleavenlessleavenousoverleavenunleavenableunleavened

Related forms yeast

Simplified etymology

Leaven dates from the Middle English period and is connected with the Latin word family based on levis, meaning “light.” In bread-making, leaven lightens the loaf.

Etymology

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

levayn Middle English levain Old French *levāmen la-vul levō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Materials & Substances Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# leaven

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈlev.ən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈlɛv.ən/
**Frequency rank:** 74646

## Meanings
1. A substance, such as yeast, added to dough to make it rise.
2. To add a substance that makes dough rise.
3. An influence that subtly lightens or improves something.
4. To soften or brighten something serious with a lighter element.

## Examples
- Bakers add leaven so the bread will rise as it bakes.
- Yeast is used to leaven bread during baking.
- The serious report benefited from a leaven of humour.
- The comedian's jokes helped leaven the tense atmosphere.

## Derived Forms
- leavened
- leavener
- leavening
- leavenless
- leavenous
- overleaven
- unleavenable
- unleavened

## Related Forms
- yeast

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: levayn
- Root: levain
- Root: *levāmen
- Root: levō

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

## AI Etymology
Leaven is from Middle English levayn, borrowed from Old French levain, from Vulgar Latin *levāmen, a noun based on Latin levō (“raise”). Important recorded forms include levayn (Middle English), levain (Old French), *levāmen (la-vul), and levō (Latin). Current senses include a substance, such as yeast, added to dough to make it rise, to add a substance that makes dough rise, and an influence that subtly lightens or improves something. The wider family includes derived forms such as leavened, leavener, leavening, leavenless, and leavenous and related words such as yeast.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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