Hypertext Webster Gateway: "leaven"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Leaven
(1.) Heb. seor (Ex. 12:15, 19; 13:7; Lev. 2:11), the remnant of
dough from the preceding baking which had fermented and become
acid.
(2.) Heb. hamets, properly "ferment." In Num. 6:3, "vinegar of
wine" is more correctly "fermented wine." In Ex. 13:7, the
proper rendering would be, "Unfermented things [Heb. matstsoth]
shall be consumed during the seven days; and there shall not be
seen with thee fermented things [hamets], and there shall not be
seen with thee leavened mass [seor] in all thy borders." The
chemical definition of ferment or yeast is "a substance in a
state of putrefaction, the atoms of which are in a continual
motion."
The use of leaven was strictly forbidden in all offerings made
to the Lord by fire (Lev. 2:11; 7:12; 8:2; Num. 6:15). Its
secretly penetrating and diffusive power is referred to in 1
Cor. 5:6. In this respect it is used to illustrate the growth of
the kingdom of heaven both in the individual heart and in the
world (Matt. 13:33). It is a figure also of corruptness and of
perverseness of heart and life (Matt. 16:6, 11; Mark 8:15; 1
Cor. 5:7, 8).
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Leaven \Leav"en\, n. [OE. levain, levein, F. levain, L. levamen
alleviation, mitigation; but taken in the sense of, a
raising, that which raises, fr. levare to raise. See {Lever},
n.]
1. Any substance that produces, or is designed to produce,
fermentation, as in dough or liquids; esp., a portion of
fermenting dough, which, mixed with a larger quantity of
dough, produces a general change in the mass, and renders
it light; yeast; barm.
2. 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. 1.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Leaven \Leav"en\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Leavened}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Leavening}.]
1. To make light by the action of leaven; to cause to
ferment.
A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. --1 Cor.
v. 6.
2. To imbue; to infect; to vitiate.
With these and the like deceivable doctrines, he
leavens also his prayer. --Milton.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
leaven
n 1: a substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a
liquid [syn: {leavening}]
2: an influence that works subtly to lighten or modify
something; "his sermons benefited from a leavening of
humor" [syn: {leavening}]
v : cause to puff up with a leaven; of dough; "unleavened bread"
[syn: {raise}, {prove}]
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