the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. The act of making light, or causing to ferment, by means of leaven.
n. That which leavens or makes light.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. The act of making light by means of leaven; the act of exciting fermentation in anything.
n. That which leavens or makes light.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid
n. an influence that works subtly to lighten or modify something
Word Usage
"The men were mostly Swiss, but with a leavening from the German states, and they were a sober, steady battalion that Wellesley planned to lead to the Inner Palace to protect its contents and its harem from the ravages of the attackers."