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to leaven
01
to add a substance, such as yeast, to dough or batter, causing it to rise and become lighter during the baking process
Transitive: to leaven dough or batter
Examples
She leavens her bread by carefully mixing in yeast and allowing it to ferment, resulting in a light and fluffy texture.
The baker knows exactly how much yeast to use to leaven the dough.
02
to spread through something and cause positive change or enhancement
Transitive: to leaven a place or situation
Examples
Her optimism leavened the tense atmosphere, making everyone feel more at ease.
His humor leavened the otherwise serious discussion, lightening the mood.
Leaven
01
an influence that works subtly to lighten or modify something
02
a substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid
Lexical Tree
leavened
leavening
leaven
