LEAVEN

leaven, leavening

(noun) an influence that works subtly to lighten or modify something; “his sermons benefited from a leavening of humor”

leaven, leavening

(noun) a substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid

raise, leaven, prove

(verb) cause to puff up with a leaven; “unleavened bread”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

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 makes a general assimilating change in the mass.

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

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 or decision.

(transitive, figuratively) To imbue; to infect; to vitiate.

To rise or become larger.

Source: Wiktionary

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Leav"en, n. Etym: [OE. levain, levein, F. levain, L. levamen alleviation, mitigation; but taken in the sense of, a raising, that which raises, fr. levare to raise. See Lever, n.]

1. Any substance that produces, or is designed to produce, fermentation, as in dough or liquids; esp., a portion of fermenting dough, which, mixed with a larger quantity of dough, produces a general change in the mass, and renders it light; yeast; barm.

2. Anything which makes a general assimilating (especially a corrupting) change in the mass. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Luke xii. 1.

Leav"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Leavened; p. pr. & vb. n. Leavening.]

1. To make light by the action of leaven; to cause to ferment. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 1 Cor. v. 6.

2. To imbue; to infect; to vitiate. With these and the like deceivable doctrines, he leavens also his prayer. Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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