What does "leaven" mean?
Leaven: 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.
Additional senses
- 2.1. To make light by the action of leaven; to cause to ferment. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 1 Cor. v.
- 3.2. To imbue; to infect; to vitiate. With these and the like deceivable doctrines, he leavens also his prayer. Milton.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00