▪ I. leaven, n.
(ˈlɛv(ə)n)
Forms: 4–5 levayn(e, 4–8 levain(e, 4 levein, 4–6 leveyne, 5–8 leven, (5 lewan), 7 levin, 6– leaven.
[a. F. levain (recorded from 12–13th c.) = Prov. levam:—L. levāmen means of raising (recorded only in the sense ‘alleviation, relief, comfort’), f. levāre (F. lever) to raise.]
1. A substance which is added to dough to produce fermentation; spec. a quantity of fermenting dough reserved from a previous batch to be used for this purpose (cf. sour-dough). † In 16–18th c. often pl. Phrase, † to lay, put leaven(s.
| 1340 Ayenb. 205 Ase þe leuayne zoureþ þet doȝ. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 294 He is the levein of the brede, Which soureth all the past about. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 352 Take þe wombis of cantarides & grinde him wiþ leueyne. c 1425 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 663/21 Hoc leuamentum, lewan. 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. ix. viii. in Ashm. (1652) 175 Lyke as flower of Whete made into Past, Requyreth Ferment whych Leven we call. a 1483 Liber Niger in Househ. Ord. (1790) 70 One yoman furnour..seasonyng the ovyn and at the making of the levayne at every bache. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 946 To put the levain, fermenter. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1539) 27 b, Breadde of fyne floure of wheate, hauynge no leuyn, is slowe of digestion. 1541 R. Copland Guydon's Quest. Chirurg. N j, And yf y⊇ veynes as yet appere nat wel, a day before he must haue a plaster of leueyne. 1573 Tusser Husb. lxxxix. (1878) 179 Wash dishes, lay leauens. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 566 The meale of Millet is singular good for Leuains. 1611 Bible Exod. xii. 15 Euen the first day yee shall put away leauen out of your houses. 1671 Salmon Syn. Med. iii. xxii. 430 Rie, the leaven is more powerfull than that of Wheat, in breaking all Aposthumes. 1699 Evelyn Acetaria 53 Add a Pound of Wheat-flour, fermented with a little Levain. 1747 H. Glasse Cookery xvii. 151 The more Leaven is put to the Flour, the lighter and spongier the Bread will be. 1809 N. Pinkney Trav. France 33 The bread is made of wheat meal, but in some cottages consisted of thin cakes without leven. 1876 tr. Schützenberger's Ferment. 10 The ancients used as leaven for their bread either dough that had been kept till it was sour, or beer-yeast. |
b. In wider sense: Any substance that produces fermentation; = ferment n. 1; occasionally applied to the ‘ferment’ of zymotic diseases.
| 1658 R. White tr. Digby's Powd. Symp. (1660) 111 Oyl of tartar fermented by the levain of roses. 1689 Harvey Curing Dis. by Expect. iv. 21 [The] humours..acquire a levain so pernicious, as to deprave and subvert the animal Faculty. 1747 tr. Astruc's Fevers 254 Moreover such a foreign levain is so disproportioned to our nature, that its effects will be the greater; nor must we admire, that this mortal ferment should be the product of some particular countries. 1758 J. S. Le Dran's Observ. Surg. (1771) 137 Her Blood was loaded with a bad Leven. 1822–34 Good's Study Med. (ed. 4) I. 694 The activity of its [typhus'] leaven by which it assimilates all the fluids of the body to its own nature. |
2. fig. a. Chiefly with allusion to certain passages of the gospels (e.g. Matt. xiii. 33, xvi. 6): An agency which produces profound change by progressive inward operation.
| 1390 [see sense 1]. 1555 Philpot Apol. (1599) B 8 b, What pharisaical leuen dothe they scatter abrode. 1641 Milton Reform. ii. Wks. 1851 III. 49 The soure levin of humane Traditions mixt in one putrifi'd Masse with the poisonous dregs of hypocrisie in the hearts of Prelates. 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. iii. 7 And thus the Romans levened with the Gospell..insinuated that leven by degrees, which in the conclusion prevailed over all. 1725 Bolingbroke 24 July in Swift's Lett. (1767) II. 211 Lest so corrupt a member should come again into the house of lords, and his bad leaven should sour that sweet untainted mass. 1799 J. Adams Wks. (1854) IX. 8 There is a very sour leaven of malevolence in many English and in many American minds against each other. 1865 Parkman Huguenots ii. (1875) 17 To the utmost bounds of France, the leaven of the Reform was working. 1875 Stubbs Const. Hist. III. xxi. 542 The evil leaven of these feelings remained. |
b. Used for: A tempering or modifying element; a tinge or admixture (of some quality).
| 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 410 You have your fine walkes..and therewithall communication seasoned with the leven of learning. 1699 Bentley Phal. 406 Their Style had some Leaven from the Age that each of them liv'd in. 1740 J. Clarke Educ. Youth (ed. 3) 124 The latter [Seneca]..has a Mixture of the Stoick Leaven. 1793 Holcroft Lavater's Physiogn. i. 13 Virtue unsullied by the leven of vanity. 1864 Swinburne Atalanta 318 Pleasure with pain for leaven. 1883 S. C. Hall Retrospect II. 185 A leaven of gaiety clung to her through life. 1884 Manch. Exam. 23 June 6/1 We should remember their temptations and mix a large leaven of charity with our judgments. |
c. Phrases. of the same leaven: of the same sort or character. the old leaven: after 1 Cor. v. 6, 7, the traces of the unregenerate condition; hence often applied to prejudices of education inconsistently retained by those who have changed their religious or political opinions.
| 1598 B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. i. ii. 73 One is a Rimer, sir, o' your owne batch, your owne levin. 1650 Trapp Comm. Num. 48 A loafe of the same leaven, was that resolute Rufus. 1653 Milton Hirelings Wks. 1738 I. 569 They quote Ambrose, Augustin, and some other ceremonial Doctors of the same Leven. 1722 Sewel Hist. Quakers 4 The Prejudice of the old Leaven. 1727 Swift To Very Yng. Lady Wks. 1755 II. ii. 42 Of the same leaven are those wives, who, when their husbands are gone a journey, must have a letter every post. 1839 Stonehouse Axholme 191 The old leaven of dissent, in which Wesley was brought up. |
3. attrib.
| 1547 Boorde Brev. Health ccvii. 72 Rye breade, Levyn bread,..and all maner of crustes. 1880 Kinglake Crimea VI. vi. 134 The army of General Canrobert was often..able to provide itself with good leaven bread. |
▪ II. leaven, v.
(ˈlɛv(ə)n)
Forms: see the n. Also pa. pple. 5 y-lavenyt, 6 levended.
[f. leaven n.]
1. trans. To produce fermentation in (dough) by means of leaven.
| 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 241 The brede be hit made of whete and euenly y-lauenyt. 1528 Paynel Salerne's Regim. (1541) 45 b, This text declareth .v. propretes of good breadde. The fyrste is, hit must be well leuende. 1535 Coverdale Hos. vii. 2 As it were an ouen y{supt} the baker heateth..till the dowe be leuended. 1611 Bible 1 Cor. v. 6 Know ye not that a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe? 1638 Rawley tr. Bacon's Life & Death (1650) 47 Bread, a little leavened, and very little salted, is best. |
| absol. 1650 Trapp Comm. Exod. 74 In the Meat-offering, it was not lawful to offer leaven, or anie thing that leaveneth, as honie. |
2. fig. (Cf. leaven n. 2.) To permeate with a transforming influence as leaven does; to imbue or mingle with some tempering or modifying element; † rarely, to debase or corrupt by admixture.
| 1550 Latimer Last Serm. bef. Edw. VI (1562) 118 b, But beware ye that are Maiestrates, theyr synne dothe leauen you all. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 35 Your advise, being leavened with singular wisedome. Ibid. 238 When I had perceived..that your friendshippe was leavened with lightnesse and inconstancie. 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. iii. 7 Thus the Romans levened with the Gospell..insinuated that leven by degrees. 1682 Sir T. Browne Chr. Mor. i. §1 Leven not good Actions nor render Virtues disputable. 1682 Burnet Rights Princes Pref. 29 Only they were too much leavened with a superstitious conceit of the Rights of the Church. c 1718 Prior Ladle 166 That cruel something unpossess'd Corrodes and leavens all the rest. 1860 Reade Cloister & H. lii, When this revelation had had time to leaven the city. 1862 Goulburn Pers. Relig. iv. xii. (1873) 355 The indolent, evil thought would still insinuate itself until it leavened their entire character. 1865 Merivale Rom. Emp. VIII. lxv. 144 Bithynia..and the adjacent parts of Asia were at the time more leavened with Christian opinions than other districts of the empire. 1877 Mrs. Oliphant Makers Flor. xi. 273 A mob which it was very easy to leaven with noisy men here and there. |
Hence ˈleavening vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. i. i. 20, 22. a 1626 Bacon New Atl. (1627) 37 Breads we haue of severall Graines,.. With diuerse kindes of Leauenings, and Seasonings. 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 128 By..fermentation or bustle of the working or leavening particles. 1878 Maclear Celts vii. 105 It did not retain the leavening influences now introduced. 1894 Athenæum 10 Nov. 633/2 [The world was] seething and fermenting..under the leavening influences of Christianity. |
▪ III. leaven
obs. form of eleven.
| 1549 Latimer Seven Sermons A a iij b, It was a solitarye place and thyther he wente w{supt} hys leauen Apostles. |