Dictionary
leav•en
Pronunciation: (lev'un), [key]—
n.
1. a substance, as yeast or baking powder, that causes fermentation and expansion of dough or batter.
2. fermented dough reserved for producing fermentation in a new batch of dough.
3. an element that produces an altering or transforming influence.
—
v.t.
1. to add leaven to (dough or batter) and cause to rise.
2. to permeate with an altering or transforming element.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.