leaven

noun/ˈlɛvən/

Frequency rank: #19,468 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

a substance, such as yeast, that causes dough to rise; or an influence that produces gradual change.

Illustration for the English word “leaven”

Example sentence

Adding yeast acts as the leaven that makes the bread rise beautifully.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 19,401–19,500