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leaves
/liːvz/
The word 'leaves' can be both a plural noun and a third-person singular present tense verb. As a noun, it refers to the parts of a plant. It is a countable noun, so you can have one leaf or many leaves. As a verb, 'leaves' is used when the subject is a singular person or thing performing an action (e.g., 'He leaves', 'The train leaves'). It is important to distinguish between the noun plural and the verb singular form based on the context of the sentence.
💬Casual Conversation
I'm totally zoning out. When does the professor usually leave?
He leaves at 4. Stop slacking and just finish the reading.
Meanings
Examples
Look at those autumn leaves floating in the pool!
Fine! He just leaves me here with the bill!
Wait, she actually leaves her kids with a stranger?
The train leaves in five minutes; move it!
I think the maple leaves are turning red already.
He just leaves everything to his cat in the will!
This whole mess just leaves me feeling completely exhausted.
The wind blew all those dry leaves into the vent.
Why does he always just leaves when things get hard?
I'll just leave these leaves on the lawn for now.
Collocations & Compounds
autumn leaves
The foliage of deciduous trees that falls off in the autumn.
The ground was covered in colorful autumn leaves.
fresh leaves
Recently grown or picked leaves.
She added fresh leaves of basil to the salad.
withered leaves
Dried and decaying leaves.
The withered leaves crunched underfoot.
tree leaves
The flat, typically green parts of a tree that grow from the twigs.
The sunlight filtered through the tree leaves.
tea leaves
The dried and processed leaves of the tea plant used to make tea.
He strained the tea leaves from the pot.
Phrasal Verbs
leaves out
To omit or exclude someone or something.
Don't leave anyone out when you're making the list.
leaves behind
To abandon or forget someone or something.
She realized she had left her keys behind.
leaves off
To omit or stop mentioning something.
He decided to leave that detail off the report.
Idioms & Sayings
turn over a new leaf
To start behaving in a better way.
After the incident, he promised to turn over a new leaf.
read between the lines
To understand the hidden meaning in something.
I can read between the lines; you're not happy with the decision.
don't judge a book by its cover
Do not form an opinion based on outward appearance.
She seems quiet, but don't judge a book by its cover; she's very adventurous.
know something like the back of your hand
To know something very well.
He knows this city like the back of his hand.
Etymology
The word 'leaves' as a noun originates from the Old English word 'lēaf', which itself comes from the Proto-Germanic 'laubą'. This root is shared with other Germanic languages, such as Old Norse 'lauf' and German 'Laub'. The Proto-Indo-European root is likely 'leubh-', possibly meaning 'to peel, strip, or care', which also gives rise to words related to bark and skin. The verb form 'leaves' meaning 'to depart' has a different etymological path, stemming from the Old English verb 'lǣfan', meaning 'to leave behind, permit, or bequeath'. This verb is derived from the Proto-Germanic 'laibijan', related to 'laibaz' (remnant, that which is left). This root is connected to the Latin verb 'linquere' (to leave) and Greek 'leipein' (to leave behind), both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root 'lei-' or 'lik-', meaning 'to leave'. The semantic shift from 'leaving behind' to 'departing' occurred over time.