leaven
verbEtymology From Middle English levayn, borrowed from Old French levain, from Vulgar Latin *levāmen, a noun based on Latin levō (“raise”).
1
To add a leavening agent.
- Yeast is used to leaven bread, making it rise during baking.
2
To cause to rise by fermentation.
3
Figuratively To temper an action, decision, attitude, characteristic, etc.
- Duke. No more euasion: We haue with a leauen'd, and prepared choice Proceeded to you; therefore take your honors:[...]c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
- “A tinge of Jewish blood is not a bad thing. It leavens the”—she looked at him—“stolid stupidity of the ordinary Englishman.”1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 125:
1 more example
- With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get[…]1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii:
4
Figuratively To imbue; to infect; to vitiate.
- The comedian's jokes helped leaven the atmosphere during the serious meeting.
- Her optimism seemed to leaven the otherwise tense environment.
2 more examples
- With these and the like deceivable doctrines, he levens also his prayer.1649, John Milton, Eikonoklastes, London, published 1756, page 30:
- […] pursue virtue virtuously: leven not good actions, nor render virtues disputable. Stain not fair acts with foul intentions […]1716, Thomas Browne, edited by Samuel Johnson, Christian Morals, 2nd edition, London: J. Payne, published 1756, Part I, p. 7:
5
To rise or become larger; to prove.
- Derived terms
- leavened, leavener, leavening, overleaven, unleavenable, unleavened
- Related terms
- yeast