bay leaf

bay leaf
1. the dried leaf of the laurel, used in cookery.
2. the leaf of the bayberry, Pimenta racemosa, used in making bay oil and bay rum.
[1630-40]

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▪ herb
also called  Laurel Leaf,  

      leaf of the sweet bay tree, Laurus nobilis, an evergreen of the family Lauraceae, indigenous to countries bordering the Mediterranean. A popular spice (spice and herb) used in pickling and marinating and to flavour stews, stuffings, and fish, bay leaves are delicately fragrant but have a bitter taste. They contain approximately 2 percent essential oil, the principal component of which is cineole. The smooth and lustrous dried bay leaves are usually used whole and then removed from the dish after cooking; they are sometimes marketed in powdered form. Bay has been cultivated from ancient times; its leaves constituted the wreaths of laurel that crowned victorious athletes in ancient Greece. During the European Middle Ages bay leaves were used medicinally.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Bay leaf — (plural bay leaves), Greek Daphni , Romanian Foi de Dafin ; is the aromatic leaf of several species of the Laurel family (Lauraceae). Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. * Laurus nobilis , is… …   Wikipedia

  • Bay leaf — Bay Bay, n. [F. baie a berry, the fruit of the laurel and other trees, fr. L. baca, bacca, a small round fruit, a berry, akin to Lith. bapka laurel berry.] 1. A berry, particularly of the laurel. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] 2. The laurel tree ({Laurus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bay leaf — See under 3d {Bay}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bay leaf — n a sweet smelling leaf from the bay tree, used in cooking …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • bay leaf — bay ,leaf noun count a leaf from a BAY TREE that is often used in cooking to add flavor …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • bay leaf — bay leaves N COUNT A bay leaf is a leaf of an evergreen tree that can be dried and used as a herb in cooking …   English dictionary

  • bay leaf — bay′ leaf n. coo the dried leaf of the laurel, used as seasoning • Etymology: 1630–40 …   From formal English to slang

  • bay leaf — n. the dried, aromatic leaf of certain plants (esp. Laurus nobilis) of the laurel family, used as a seasoning in cooking …   English World dictionary

  • bay leaf — noun dried leaf of the bay laurel • Hypernyms: ↑herb • Part Holonyms: ↑true laurel, ↑bay, ↑bay laurel, ↑bay tree, ↑Laurus nobilis * * * noun Etymology …   Useful english dictionary

  • bay leaf — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms bay leaf : singular bay leaf plural bay leaves a leaf from a bay tree that is often used in cooking to add flavour …   English dictionary

  • Bay Leaf Cottages & Bistro — (Lincolnville,США) Категория отеля: Адрес: 2372 Atlantic Highway, Lincolnville, ME …   Каталог отелей

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