leaf (redirected from -leafed)

leaf out

[for a plant] to open its leaf buds. Most of the bushes leaf out in mid-April. The trees leafed out early this year.

See also: out

take a leaf out of someone's book and take a page from someone's book

Fig. to behave or to do something in a way that someone else would. When you act like that, you're taking a leaf out of your sister's book, and I don't like it! You had better do it your way. Don't take a leaf out of my book. I don't do it well.

See also: book, out, take

thumb through something and leaf through something

to look through a book, magazine, or newspaper, without reading it carefully. I've only thumbed through this book, but it looks very interesting. I leafed through a magazine while waiting to see the doctor.

See also: through, thumb

turn over a new leaf

Fig. to begin again, fresh; to reform and begin again. (Fig. on turning to a fresh page. The leaf is a page—a fresh, clean page.) I have made a mess of my life. I'll turn over a new leaf and hope to do better. Why don't you turn over a new leaf and surprise everyone with your good characteristics?

See also: new, turn

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a fig leaf

something that you use to try to hide an embarrassing fact or problem

Usage notes: In the Bible, Adam and Eve used fig leaves to cover their sexual organs when they discovered they were naked.

Are the peace talks simply providing a fig leaf for the continuing aggression between the two countries?

See also: fig

shake like a leaf

to shake a lot because you are nervous or frightened (usually in continuous tenses) I saw her just before her talk and she was shaking like a leaf.

See rock to its foundations

See also: like, shake

take a leaf out of somebody's book

to copy something that someone else does because it will bring you advantages Maybe I should take a leaf out of Robert's book and start coming in at ten every morning.

See shake like a leaf

See also: book, out, take

turn over a new leaf

to start behaving in a better way Apparently he's turned over a new leaf and he's not drinking any more.

See also: new, turn

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leaf through something

to turn pages, briefly looking at them We leafed through some old photo albums. The detective leafed through some papers on the desk, looking for clues to my father's disappearance.

See also: through

take a leaf out of somebody's book

to copy something that someone else has done I should take a leaf out of Robert's book and start coming in at ten every morning – maybe then the boss will notice me!

See also: book, out, take

thumb through something

to quickly look at a pile of papers or the pages of a magazine or book Quinn thumbed through his messages until he found the slip with Ritter's phone number on it. Bella had to wait for Jill so she passed the time thumbing through magazines.

See also: through, thumb

turn over a new leaf

to start behaving in a different way Apparently he's turned over a new leaf and he's not drinking any more.

Usage notes: usually suggesting an improvement in behavior

Related vocabulary: turn the page

See also: new, turn