Leavened

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. The quality of a mixture that has been augmented by an agent promoting fermentation or the production of gas, leading to an increase in volume and a lighter texture
2. The state of dough that has been enhanced by an ingredient causing fermentation, allowing it to rise and develop a porous structure
3. Characterizing baked goods that have been treated with a fermenting agent, resulting in a puffed and airy consistency

Etymology: "Leavened" is simply the past form of "leaven," which meant the agent that makes dough rise, so a leavened loaf is one that has been raised. The verb traces back through Middle English "levayn" to Old French "levain," which was borrowed from a Vulgar Latin noun, "levāmen," built on the Latin verb "levō," meaning "raise." The Latin verb is also the root of "lever" and "levitate." That shared ancestry is worth noticing: the same idea of lifting something up runs through a bread loaf, a mechanical lever, and a floating body.

Synonyms: fermented

Antonyms: unleavened