leaven

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English levayn, borrowed from Old French levain, from Vulgar Latin *levāmen, a noun based on Latin levō (“raise”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈlɛv.ən/, [ˈlɛvn̩] (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈlev.ən/, [ˈlevn̩] Rhymes: -ɛvən === Noun === leaven (countable and uncountable, plural leavens) Any agent used to make dough rise or to have a similar effect on baked goods. (figurative) Anything that induces change, especially a corrupting or vitiating change. (Judaism) Chametz. ==== Synonyms ==== (any agent used to make dough rise): leavening agent, raising agent ==== Hypernyms ==== (any agent used to make dough rise): agent, substance ==== Hyponyms ==== (any agent used to make dough rise): baking powder, yeast ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === leaven (third-person singular simple present leavens, present participle leavening, simple past and past participle leavened) (transitive) To add a leavening agent. (transitive) To cause to rise by fermentation. (transitive, figuratively) To temper an action, decision, attitude, characteristic, etc. (transitive, figuratively) To imbue; to infect; to vitiate. To rise or become larger; to prove. (Can we add an example for this sense?) ==== Alternative forms ==== leven (obsolete) ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === yeast == German == === Etymology === From English leave +‎ -en. === Verb === leaven (third-person singular present leavt, past tense leavte, past participle geleaved or geleavt, auxiliary haben or sein) (slang, gaming, otherwise rare) to leave Synonym: quitten == West Frisian == === Noun === leaven plural of leaf