foliate
|fo-li-ate|
🇺🇸
/ˈfoʊ.li.eɪt/
🇬🇧
/ˈfəʊ.li.eɪt/
leaf-like; layered
Etymology
'foliate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'foliatus' (from 'folium'), where 'folium' meant 'leaf'.
'foliate' changed from Late Latin 'foliatus' (adjective formed from 'folium') into Middle/French-Latin usages and was borrowed into English as 'foliate' with sense related to leaves and leaflike ornamentation.
Initially, it meant 'having leaves' or 'made of leaves', but over time it evolved to include the decorative sense 'to ornament with leaf motifs' and technical senses in botany and geology related to leaflike structure.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to produce leaves or cause to produce leaves; to put leaves on (literal or figurative).
To foliate the border of the page, the illuminator added tiny painted leaves.
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Verb 2
to ornament or decorate with leaflike designs (esp. in art, architecture, and manuscripts).
The sculptor chose to foliate the capital with stylized acanthus leaves.
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Adjective 1
having leaves or leaflike parts; leaflike in appearance.
The foliate pattern along the frieze gives the room a natural, organic feel.
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Last updated: 2025/12/31 09:02