Forms: 4–5 levayn(e, 4–8 levain(e, 4 levein, 4–6 leveyne, 5–8 leven, (5 lewan), 7 levin, 6– leaven. [a. F. levain (recorded from 12–13th c.) = Prov. levam:—L. levāmen means of raising (recorded only in the sense ‘alleviation, relief, comfort’), f. levāre (F. lever) to raise.]
1. A substance that is added to dough to produce fermentation; spec. a quantity of fermenting dough reserved from a previous batch to be used for this purpose (cf. sour-dough). † In 16–18th c. often plural. Phrase, † To lay, put leaven(s.
1340. Ayenb., 203. Ase þe leuayne zoureþ þet doȝ.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 294. He is the levein of the brede, Which soureth all the past about.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 352. Take þe wombis of cantarides & grinde hem wiþ leueyne.
c. 1425. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 663/21. Hoc leuamentum, lewan.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., IX. viii. in Ashm. (1652), 175. Lyke as flower of Whete made into Past, Requyreth Ferment whych Leven we call.
a. 1483. Liber Niger, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 70. One yoman furnour … seasonyng the ovyn and at the making of the levayne at every bache.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 946. To put the levain, fermenter.
1533. Elyot, Cast. Helthe (1539), 27 b. Breadde of fyne floure of wheate, hauynge no leuyn, is slowe of digestion.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., N j. And yf ye veynes as yet appere nat wel, a day before he must haue a plaster of leueyne.
1573. Tusser, Husb., lxxxix. (1878), 179. Wash dishes, lay leauens.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 566. The meale of Millet is singular good for Leuains.
1611. Bible, Exod. xii. 15. Seuen dayes shall ye eate vnleauened bread, euen the first day yee shall put away leauen out of your houses.
1671. Salmon, Syn. Med., III. xxii. 430. Rie, the leaven is more powerfull than that of Wheat, in breaking all Aposthumes.
1699. Evelyn, Acetaria, 53. Add a Pound of Wheat-flour, fermented with a little Levain.
1747. Mrs. Glasse, Cookery, xvii. 151. The more Leaven is put to the Flour, the lighter and spongier the Bread will be.
1809. Pinkney, Trav. France, 33. The bread is made of wheat meal, but in some cottages consisted of thin cakes without leven.
1876. trans. Schützenberger’s Ferment., 10. The ancients used as leaven for their bread either dough that had been kept till it was sour, or beer-yeast.
b. In wider sense: Any substance that produces fermentation; = FERMENT sb. 1; occasionally applied to the ‘ferment’ of zymotic diseases.
1658. R. White, trans. Digby’s Powd. Symp. (1660), 111. Oyl of tartar fermented by the levain of roses.
1689. G. Harvey, Curing Dis. by Expect., iv. 21. [The] humours … acquire a levain so pernicious, as to deprave and subvert the animal Faculty.
1747. trans. Astruc’s Fevers, 254. Moreover such a foreign levain is so disproportioned to our nature, that its effects will be the greater; nor must we admire, that this mortal ferment should be the product of some particular countries.
1758. J. S., Le Dran’s Observ. Surg. (1771), 137. Her Blood was loaded with a bad Leven.
1822–34. Good’s Study Med. (ed. 4), I. 694. The activity of its [typhus’] leaven by which it assimilates all the fluids of the body to its own nature.
2. fig. a. Chiefly with allusion to certain passages of the gospels (e.g., Matt. xiii. 33, xvi. 6): An agency that produces profound change by progressive inward operation.
1390. [see sense 1].
1555. Philpot, Apol. (1599), B 8 b. What pharisaical leuen dothe they scatter abrode.
1641. Milton, Reform., II. Wks. 1851, III. 49. The soure levin of humane Traditions mixt in one putrifi’d Masse with the poisonous dregs of hypocrisie in the hearts of Prelates.
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. iii. 7. And thus the Romans levened with the Gospell … insinuated that leven by degrees, which in the conclusion prevailed over all.
1725. Ld. Bolingbroke 24 July, in Swift’s Lett. (1767), II. 211. Lest so corrupt a member should come again into the house of lords, and his bad leaven should sour that sweet untainted mass.
1799. J. Adams, Wks. (1854), IX. 8. There is a very sour leaven of malevolence in many English and in many American minds against each other.
1865. Parkman, Huguenots, ii. (1875), 17. To the utmost bounds of France, the leaven of the Reform was working.
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., III. xxi. 542. The evil leaven of these feelings remained.
b. Used for: A tempering or modifying element; a tinge or admixture (of some quality).
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 410. You have your fine walkes … and therewithall communication seasoned with the leven of learning.
1699. Bentley, Phal., 406. Their Style had some Leaven from the Age that each of them liv’d in.
1740. J. Clarke, Educ. Youth (ed. 3), 124. The latter [Seneca] … has a Mixture of the Stoick Leaven.
1793. Holcroft, trans. Lavater’s Physiog., i. 13. Virtue unsullied by the leven of vanity.
1864. Swinburne, Atalanta, 318. Pleasure with pain for leaven.
1883. S. C. Hall, Retrospect, II. 185. A leaven of gaiety clung to her through life.
1884. Manch. Exam., 23 June, 6/1. We should remember their temptations and mix a large leaven of charity with our judgments.
c. Phrases. Of the same leaven: of the same sort or character. The old leaven: after 1 Cor. v. 6, 7, the traces of the unregenerate condition; hence often applied to prejudices of education inconsistently retained by those who have changed their religious or political opinions.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., I. ii. 73. One is a Rimer, sir, o’ your owne batch, your owne levin.
1650. Trapp, Comm. Num., 48. A loafe of the same leaven, was that resolute Rufus.
1653. Milton, Hirelings, Wks. 1738, I. 569. They quote Ambrose, Augustin, and some other ceremonial Doctors of the same Leven.
1722. Sewel, Hist. Quakers, 4. The Prejudice of the old Leaven.
1727. Swift, To Very Yng. Lady, Wks. 1755, II. II. 42. Of the same leaven are those wives, who, when their husbands are gone a journey, must have a letter every post.
1839. Stonehouse, Axholme, 191. The old leaven of dissent, in which Wesley was brought up.
3. attrib.
1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, ccvii. 72. Rye breade, Levyn bread,… and all maner of crustes.
1880. Kinglake, Crimea, VI. vi. 134. The army of General Canrobert was often … able to provide itself with good leaven bread.
