foliage
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the leaves of a plant or tree, especially when you are talking about how they look.
the collective mass of leaves of a plant or tree. Uncountable in its general sense, though countable when referring to specific types of leaf arrangements.
Simple“The thick green foliage of the jungle blocked out most of the sunlight.”
In context“The dense tropical foliage provided a natural canopy, sheltering the forest floor from the torrential afternoon rains.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun to describe the overall appearance of a plant's leaves.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the colourful leaves on trees during the autumn season.
the seasonal change in leaf colour, particularly in deciduous forests during autumn.
Simple“Many tourists visit Vermont in October to see the beautiful autumn foliage.”
In context“The region's economy relies heavily on 'leaf-peepers' who travel long distances to photograph the vibrant autumn foliage.”
Teacher's tipIn American English, 'fall foliage' is a very common set phrase for autumn tourism.
Synonymsautumn colours - 03 C1 Advanced
a decoration on a building that looks like leaves or branches.
an architectural or artistic ornament representing leaves, flowers, or branches.
Simple“The stone columns were decorated with carvings of vines and foliage.”
In context“The cathedral's Gothic arches were adorned with intricate stone foliage, demonstrating the stonemasons' mastery of naturalistic detail.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is specific to art history and architecture.
Synonyms
From earlier foilage, from Late Middle English ffoylage, from Middle French feuillage. The more recent form is influenced by Latin folium (“leaf”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.