Leaf vs. Leave — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 7, 2023
Leaf is a green, flat organ of a plant, while Leave means to depart or to give permission.
Difference Between Leaf and Leave
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A Leaf, often green, is an organ of a plant that is primarily responsible for photosynthesis and transpiration. On the other hand, Leave is a verb with various meanings, including to depart from a place or to give permission.
While a Leaf plays a crucial role in a plant's survival, serving as its primary site for energy conversion, Leave serves as a linguistic indicator of an action or granting of permission. You might pick up a Leaf from the ground, but you'd Leave the park after a day's outing.
Additionally, while Leaf has a plural form as "leaves," the word Leave also has a noun form, referring to a period of absence from work.
Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Noun
Verb (primarily)
Meaning
Flat organ of a plant
To depart, or grant permission
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Plural Form
Leaves
N/A
Common Usage
Related to plants and trees
Describes an action or permission
Examples
Maple Leaf, turning over a new Leaf
Leave the room, parental Leave
Compare with Definitions
Leaf
Leaf denotes a part that folds.
The dining table has an extra Leaf for guests.
Leave
Leave means to depart.
She decided to Leave early.
Leaf
Leaf can refer to a flattened structure.
The gold Leaf was used to decorate the artwork.
Leave
Leave can indicate granting permission.
You may Leave the table when you're done.
Leaf
Leaf signifies a part of a plant's structure.
The Leaf absorbs sunlight for photosynthesis.
Leave
Leave denotes absence from work.
He took a sick Leave today.
Leaf
A leaf (plural leaves) is the principal lateral appendage of the vascular plant stem, usually borne above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. The leaves, stem, flower and fruit together form the shoot system.
Leave
Leave can mean to let something remain.
Leave the keys on the table.
Leaf
A usually green, flattened, lateral structure attached to a stem and functioning as a principal organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in most plants.
Leave
Leave signifies abandoning or deserting.
Don't Leave me behind!
Leaf
A leaflike organ or structure.
Leave
Go away from
The England team left for Pakistan on Monday
We were almost the last to leave
She left London on June 6
Leaf
Leaves considered as a group; foliage.
Leave
Allow or cause to remain
The parts he disliked he would alter and the parts he didn't dislike he'd leave
Leaf
The state or time of having or showing leaves
Trees in full leaf.
Leave
Cause (someone or something) to be in a particular state or position
I'll leave the door open
He'll leave you in no doubt about what he thinks
The children were left with feelings of loss
Leaf
The leaves of a plant used or processed for a specific purpose
Large supplies of tobacco leaf.
Leave
(of a plant) put out new leaves
Trees leaved, wild flowers burst in profusion on the far side of the lake
Leaf
Any of the sheets of paper bound in a book, each side of which constitutes a page.
Leave
(in snooker, croquet, and other games) the position in which a player leaves the balls for the next player.
Leaf
A very thin sheet of material, especially metal.
Leave
Time when one has permission to be absent from work or from duty in the armed forces
Joe was home on leave
Maternity leave
Leaf
Such leaves considered as a group
Covered in gold leaf.
Leave
Permission
Leave from the court to commence an action
Leaf
A hinged or removable section for a table top.
Leave
To go out of or away from
Not allowed to leave the room.
Leaf
A hinged or otherwise movable section of a folding door, shutter, or gate.
Leave
To go without taking or removing
Left my book on the bus.
Leaf
A section of drawbridge that moves upward or to the side.
Leave
To omit or exclude
Left out the funniest part of the story.
Leaf
One of several metal strips forming a leaf spring.
Leave
To have as a result, consequence, or remainder
The car left a trail of exhaust fumes. Two from eight leaves six.
Leaf
To produce leaves; put forth foliage
Trees just beginning to leaf.
Leave
To cause or allow to be or remain in a specified state
Left the lights on.
Leaf
To turn pages, as in searching or browsing
Leafed through the catalog.
Leave
To have remaining after death
Left a young son.
Leaf
To turn through the pages of.
Leave
To bequeath
Left her money to charity.
Leaf
The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants.
Leave
To give over to another to control or act on
Leave all the details to us.
Leaf
Anything resembling the leaf of a plant.
Leave
To abandon or forsake
Leave home.
Left her husband.
Leaf
A sheet of a book, magazine, etc (consisting of two pages, one on each face of the leaf).
Leave
To remove oneself from association with or participation in
Left the navy for civilian life.
Leaf
A sheet of any substance beaten or rolled until very thin.
Gold leaf
Leave
To give or deposit, as for use or information, upon one's departure or in one's absence
He left a note for you. Leave your name and address.
Leaf
Two pages.
Leave
To cause or permit to be or remain
Left myself plenty of time.
Leaf
(in the plural) Tea leaves.
Leave
(Nonstandard) To allow or permit; let.
Leaf
A flat section used to extend the size of a table.
Leave
To set out or depart; go
When can you leave?.
Leaf
A moveable panel, e.g. of a bridge or door, originally one that hinged but now also applied to other forms of movement.
The train car has one single-leaf and two double-leaf doors per side.
Leave
To put forth foliage; leaf.
Leaf
(botany) A foliage leaf or any of the many and often considerably different structures it can specialise into.
Leave
Permission to do something.
Leaf
In a tree, a node that has no descendants.
Leave
An act of departing; a farewell
Took leave of her with a heavy heart.
Leaf
The layer of fat supporting the kidneys of a pig, leaf fat.
Leave
See leave of absence.
Leaf
One of the teeth of a pinion, especially when small.
Leave
To have a consequence or remnant.
Leaf
Cannabis.
Leave
(transitive) To cause or allow (something) to remain as available; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely.
I left my car at home and took a bus to work.
The ants did not leave so much as a crumb of bread.
There's not much food left. We'd better go to the shops.
Leaf
A Canadian person.
Leave
To cause, to result in.
The lightning left her dazzled for several minutes.
Infantile paralysis left him lame for the rest of his life.
She left disappointed.
Leaf
(intransitive) To produce leaves; put forth foliage.
Leave
(transitive) To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver, with a sense of withdrawing oneself.
Leave your hat in the hall.
We should leave the legal matters to lawyers.
I left my sewing and went to the window to watch the falling snow.
Leaf
(transitive) To divide (a vegetable) into separate leaves.
The lettuce in our burgers is 100% hand-leafed.
Leave
To depart; to separate from.
Leaf
A colored, usually green, expansion growing from the side of a stem or rootstock, in which the sap for the use of the plant is elaborated under the influence of light; one of the parts of a plant which collectively constitute its foliage.
Leave
To let be or do without interference.
I left him to his reflections.
I leave my hearers to judge.
Leaf
A special organ of vegetation in the form of a lateral outgrowth from the stem, whether appearing as a part of the foliage, or as a cotyledon, a scale, a bract, a spine, or a tendril.
Leave
(transitive) To depart from; to end one's connection or affiliation with.
I left the country and I left my wife.
Leaf
Something which is like a leaf in being wide and thin and having a flat surface, or in being attached to a larger body by one edge or end;
They were both determined to turn over a new leaf.
Leave
(transitive) To end one's membership in (a group); to terminate one's affiliation with (an organization); to stop participating in (a project).
I left the band.
Leaf
To shoot out leaves; to produce leaves; to leave; as, the trees leaf in May.
Leave
(intransitive) To depart; to go away from a certain place or state.
I think you'd better leave.
Leaf
The main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
Leave
To transfer something.
Leaf
A sheet of any written or printed material (especially in a manuscript or book)
Leave
(transitive) To transfer possession of after death.
When my father died, he left me the house.
Leaf
Hinged or detachable flat section (as of a table or door)
Leave
(transitive) To give (something) to someone; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit.
I'll leave the car in the station so you can pick it up there.
Leaf
Look through a book or other written material;
He thumbed through the report
She leafed through the volume
Leave
(transitive) To transfer responsibility or attention of (something) (to someone); to stop being concerned with.
Can't we just leave this to the experts?
Leaf
Turn over pages;
Leaf through a book
Leaf a manuscript
Leave
To remain (behind); to stay.
Leaf
Produce leaves, of plants
Leave
To stop, desist from; to "leave off" (+ noun / gerund).
Leaf
Leaf refers to a plant organ.
The Maple Leaf is a symbol of Canada.
Leave
(transitive) To give leave to; allow; permit; let; grant.
We were not left go to the beach after school except on a weekend.
Leaf
Leaf can mean pages in a book.
He turned over a new Leaf in the novel.
Leave
To produce leaves or foliage.
Leave
(obsolete) To raise; to levy.
Leave
(cricket) The action of the batsman not attempting to play at the ball.
Leave
(billiards) The arrangement of balls in play that remains after a shot is made (which determines whether the next shooter — who may be either the same player, or an opponent — has good options, or only poor ones).
Leave
Permission to be absent; time away from one's work.
I've been given three weeks' leave by my boss.
Leave
Permission.
Might I beg leave to accompany you?
The applicant now seeks leave to appeal and, if leave be granted, to appeal against these sentences.
Leave
(dated) Farewell, departure.
I took my leave of the gentleman without a backward glance.
Leave
To send out leaves; to leaf; - often with out.
Leave
To raise; to levy.
An army strong she leaved.
Leave
To withdraw one's self from; to go away from; to depart from; as, to leave the house.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.
Leave
To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed.
If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes ?
These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Besides it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be said than is expressed.
Leave
To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from.
Now leave complaining and begin your tea.
Leave
To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to relinquish.
Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
The heresies that men do leave.
Leave
To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge.
I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor.
Leave
To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver; to commit; to submit - with a sense of withdrawing one's self from; as, leave your hat in the hall; we left our cards; to leave the matter to arbitrators.
Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way.
The footThat leaves the print of blood where'er it walks.
Leave
To have remaining at death; hence, to bequeath; as, he left a large estate; he left a good name; he left a legacy to his niece.
Leave
To cause to be; - followed by an adjective or adverb describing a state or condition; as, the losses due to fire leave me penniless; The cost of defending himself left Bill Clinton with a mountain of lawyers' bills.
Leave
To depart; to set out.
By the time I left for Scotland.
Leave
To cease; to desist; to leave off.
Leave off, and for another summons wait.
Leave
Liberty granted by which restraint or illegality is removed; permission; allowance; license.
David earnestly asked leave of me.
No friend has leave to bear away the dead.
Leave
The act of leaving or departing; a formal parting; a leaving; farewell; adieu; - used chiefly in the phrase, to take leave, i. e., literally, to take permission to go.
A double blessing is a'double grace;Occasion smiles upon a second leave.
And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren.
Leave
The period of time during which you are absent from work or duty;
A ten day's leave to visit his mother
Leave
Permission to do something;
She was granted leave to speak
Leave
The act of departing politely;
He disliked long farewells
He took his leave
Parting is such sweet sorrow
Leave
Go away from a place;
At what time does your train leave?
She didn't leave until midnight
The ship leaves at midnight
Leave
Go and leave behind, either intentionally or by neglect or forgetfulness;
She left a mess when she moved out
His good luck finally left him
Her husband left her after 20 years of marriage
She wept thinking she had been left behind
Leave
Act or be so as to become in a specified state;
The inflation left them penniless
The president's remarks left us speechless
Leave
Leave unchanged or undisturbed or refrain from taking;
Leave it as is
Leave the young fawn alone
Leave the flowers that you see in the park behind
Leave
Move out of or depart from;
Leave the room
The fugitive has left the country
Leave
Make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain;
This leaves no room for improvement
The evidence allows only one conclusion
Allow for mistakes
Leave lots of time for the trip
This procedure provides for lots of leeway
Leave
Result in;
The water left a mark on the silk dress
Her blood left a stain on the napkin
Leave
Remove oneself from an association with or participation in;
She wants to leave
The teenager left home
She left her position with the Red Cross
He left the Senate after two terms
After 20 years with the same company, she pulled up stakes
Leave
Put into the care or protection of someone;
He left the decision to his deputy
Leave your child the nurse's care
Leave
Leave or give by will after one's death;
My aunt bequeathed me all her jewelry
My grandfather left me his entire estate
Leave
Have left or have as a remainder;
That left the four of us
19 minus 8 leaves 11
Leave
Be survived by after one's death;
He left six children
At her death, she left behind her husband and 11 cats
Leave
Tell or deposit (information) knowledge;
Give a secret to the Russians
Leave your name and address here
Leave
Leave behind unintentionally;
I forgot my umbrella in the restaurant
I left my keys inside the car and locked the doors
Common Curiosities
Is a Leaf always green?
No, leaves can be various colors, especially in autumn.
What does it mean to "Leave a place"?
It means to depart or exit from that location.
Can "Leaf" refer to book pages?
Yes, turning a "Leaf" can mean flipping a page in a book.
What does "parental Leave" refer to?
It refers to time off work given to parents around the birth/adoption of their child.
Can "Leave" mean giving permission?
Yes, like in "You may Leave the room."
Is "Leave behind" about forgetting something?
It can mean forgetting or intentionally not bringing something/someone.
How does a Leaf aid in photosynthesis?
It absorbs sunlight and converts it into energy for the plant.
Do all plants have leaves?
Most do, but some like cacti have modified structures instead of typical leaves.
What's the opposite of Leave?
In many contexts, it's "arrive" or "stay."
Can a Leaf be metallic?
Yes, in terms like "gold Leaf," it refers to thin sheets of metal.
Does "Leave out" mean to exclude?
Yes, it means to not include or omit something.
How is "Leaf" related to "leaves"?
"Leaves" is the plural form of "Leaf."
Can a Leaf be a symbol?
Yes, like the Maple Leaf symbolizing Canada.
What does "Leave of absence" mean?
It's a period when one has permission to be absent from work or duty.
Is a Leaf always flat?
Mostly, but they can vary in shape, thickness, and texture.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
