leaven

leaven (lev′ən)

noun

1. a small piece of fermenting dough put aside to be used for producing fermentation in a fresh batch of dough
2. leavening (sense )
leavening (sense )

Etymology: ME levein < OFr levain < VL *levamen (in L, alleviation) < L levare, to make light, relieve, raise: see lever

transitive verb

to make (batter or dough) rise before or during baking by means of a leavening agent
to spread through, causing a gradual change

Object

bread: See more date 4000 BC: the Egyptians discovered how to bake leavened bread using yeast.
lump: The true work of the Holy Spirit will leaven the whole lump.
dough: Using this method, a piece of leavened dough was saved just before cooking.
agent: Potato starch A light starch that will rise with egg as the leavening agent.
mix: But autobiography is special in that, in addition to leavening the mix, it can also introduce development.
process: Do we know anything of a gradual, growing, spreading, increasing, leavening process going on in us?

Converse of object

put: When making bread in the course of her household duties, a woman would naturally put leaven into the meal.

Subject

misunderstanding: FUMOFFU features loads of slapstick humor, leavened by romantic misunderstandings and the occasional round of gunfire.

Adjective modifier

old: A little of the old leaven remains, perhaps.
little: That's why Paul says: ' Know ye not that a little leaven ' - know ye not?

Modifying Another Word

gradually: The work of grace will gradually leaven the whole lump and a thorough conversion to Christ takes place.
no: Before Pesach begins the house will be thoroughly cleaned to make sure that there is no leavened bread in the house.

Preposition: in

lump: To revert to biblical imagery, there is plenty of leaven in the lump.

Preposition: of

Pharisee: At still another time, Jesus said to His disciples, " Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
malice: In Christ we see the purging out of the old leaven of malice and wickedness.
grace: The leaven of grace shall yet leaven the whole lump.
humor: However, people who know him say all this comes with a leavening of humor.

Preposition: with

humor: He's not short of demons and desperation, but they're leavened with much humor and Cumbrian nous.
touch: There is just enough informative " meat " in it for a tube journey, leavened with touches of humor.

Preposition: by

misunderstanding: FUMOFFU features loads of slapstick humor, leavened by romantic misunderstandings and the occasional round of gunfire.

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