fig leaf

noun

Etymology

From Middle English *figge leef (attested in the plural figge leves), a partial calque of Old English fīclēaf (“fig leaf”). By surface analysis, fig + leaf.

  1. inherited from fīclēaf — “fig leaf
  2. inherited from *figge leef

Definitions

  1. A leaf of the fig plant.

  2. A representation of leaf of a fig plant used to cover the genitals of a nude figure in a…

    A representation of leaf of a fig plant used to cover the genitals of a nude figure in a work of art (alluding to Genesis iii 7, in which Adam and Eve use fig leaves to hide their nakedness).

    • This figleaf morality expresses a very unhealthy mental attitude.
  3. Anything used to conceal something undesirable or that one does not want to be discovered.

    • In fact, speaking of paedos, the prime minister chose to use one as a figleaf.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for fig leaf. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA