Leafs

/lɛfs/ verb

Definition

The third-person singular form of leaf; to turn pages quickly, flip through a book or document, or to grow leaves (of a plant).

Etymology

From Old English 'leaf' (foliage/page of a book), itself from Proto-Germanic 'laubaz.' The dual meaning (plant part and book page) comes from the physical resemblance of pages to leaves.

Kelly Says

Before books, 'leaf' meant plant leaf, but pages looked so much like leaves that people started calling book pages 'leaves'—now 'leafing through a book' preserves this 1,000-year-old metaphor!

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