leaven Hear it!

leaven Definition

leaven (levən)

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 )
  1. leavening (sense )

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

transitive verb

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

leaven Synonyms

leaven

v.

  1. To ferment

    raise, pepsinate, lighten; see ferment.

  2. To influence

    change, cause, affect; see influence.

leaven Usage Examples

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.

Browse dictionary entries near leaven

  1. leaved
  2. leave word
  3. leave to
  4. leave-taking
  5. leave out
  6. leave off
  7. leave of court
  8. leave of absence
  9. leave no issue
  10. leave
  1. leavening
  2. Leavenworth
  3. leaves
  4. leavings
  5. Leavis
  6. leavy
  7. Leb
  8. Lebanon
  9. Lebensraum
  10. Lebkuchen