leavened
leavened — 動詞
1. past form of 'leaven' — to mix a special ingredient such as yeast or baking powd
使發酵
在麵糰中加入酵母或膨鬆劑使其發起
past form of 'leaven' — to mix a special ingredient such as yeast or baking powder into bread dough or batter so that the dough swells up and turns soft while it bakes.
Otis leavened the flatbread dough with fresh yeast he had bought that morning.
Otis 用當天早上買回來的新鮮酵母，讓扁麵包的麵糰發酵膨脹。
leavened + [dough] + with + [yeast]
The loaves on the table were leavened with sourdough starter from the village bakery.
桌上那幾條麵包，是用村裡麵包坊的酸種起子發酵膨脹做成的。
passive: was/were leavened with [agent]
Mei leavened her grandmother's steamed bun recipe using a small spoon of baking powder.
Mei 用一小匙泡打粉，讓奶奶傳下來的蒸饅頭食譜順利發酵膨脹。
Bakers in ancient Egypt leavened their bread by letting wild yeast settle into the dough overnight.
古埃及的麵包師讓野生酵母整夜落入麵糰中，使麵包發酵膨脹。
The pancake batter was lightly leavened so the cakes would puff up on the hot pan.
鬆餅麵糊輕輕發過酵後，在熱鍋上會膨脹起來。
- unleavened
describes bread made without any rising agent, often religious flatbreads such as matzo or some chapati
文法句型
leavened + [bread/dough/batter]
leavened with + [yeast/baking powder]
用法筆記
Most often appears in the passive form 'be/was/were leavened with [agent]', describing finished bread or dough. The active form is far less common in everyday speech than the bare verb 'leaven' or the noun 'leavening'.
常見錯誤
2. figurative past form — added a small amount of something lively or playful, such
使活潑
在原本沉悶的文字或場合中加入活潑元素
figurative past form — added a small amount of something lively or playful, such as jokes or warm feeling, into a piece of writing, speech, or situation that would otherwise feel dull or heavy.
Yasmin leavened her long history lecture with stories from her own travels in Morocco.
Yasmin 在她冗長的歷史課中，穿插了自己在摩洛哥旅行的故事，讓內容變得生動。
leavened + [speech] + with + [lively element]
The judge leavened her stern courtroom remarks with a brief, gentle joke about the weather.
那位法官在嚴肅的法庭發言中，加入一個關於天氣的小笑話，讓氣氛輕鬆了一些。
leavened + [stern content] + with + [light element]
Camille leavened the funeral speech with two warm memories of summer picnics at the lake.
Camille 在喪禮致詞中，分享了兩段夏天在湖邊野餐的溫暖回憶，讓氣氛不那麼沉重。
The novel's heavy political chapters were leavened by short, funny scenes set in a small bakery.
這本小說沉重的政治章節，被幾個發生在小麵包坊的有趣短場景點綴得活潑起來。
- weighed down
describes the opposite effect — making a text or talk feel heavier rather than lighter
文法句型
leavened + [text/speech/situation] + with + [humour/wit]
用法筆記
Distinct from sense 1: this figurative use applies to texts, talks, atmospheres, and moods, not to food. Almost always followed by 'with' (active) or 'by' (passive) plus a noun naming the light or warming element.
常見錯誤
leavened — 名詞
1. in older or literary writing, a living substance — most often yeast — that baker
天然酵頭
古早食譜中讓麵糰發酵的活性物質
in older or literary writing, a living substance — most often yeast — that bakers stir into dough so that natural bubbles form and the bread swells while it rests.
The recipe asked for a small piece of leavened, kept warm overnight in a cloth-covered bowl.
食譜要求準備一小塊天然酵頭，用布蓋著放在碗裡保溫過夜。
noun usage: a piece of leavened
Indra prepared a fresh leavened from grape skins and warm water for the wedding loaves.
Indra 用葡萄皮和溫水做了一份新鮮的天然酵頭，準備用來烤婚禮的麵包。
noun usage: prepare a leavened
Without a fresh leavened, the village loaves stayed flat and turned hard before the next market day.
沒有新鮮的天然酵頭，村裡的麵包就會扁扁的，到下個市集日就變得很硬。
Old bakers kept a jar of leavened on the kitchen shelf and refreshed it with flour each week.
從前的麵包師會在廚房架上放一罐天然酵頭，每週加些麵粉讓它保持活力。
文法句型
[a/the] + leavened + (for/in) + [dough]
用法筆記
Rare in modern English; most speakers use 'leaven', 'starter', or 'yeast' instead. Found mainly in older recipes and religious texts. Distinguish from sense 2 (a chemical agent like baking powder) and sense 3 (figurative).
常見錯誤
2. a non-living powder — for example baking soda or a similar baking helper — that
化學膨鬆劑
如泡打粉等讓麵糊膨脹的非活性粉末
a non-living powder — for example baking soda or a similar baking helper — that is mixed into a batter so small bubbles of gas form and lift the mixture as it heats in the oven.
Walid measured a chemical leavened into the cake batter so that the sponge would rise evenly.
Walid 在蛋糕麵糊中量了一份化學膨鬆劑，讓海綿蛋糕能均勻膨脹。
chemical leavened vs living kind
A small spoon of leavened is enough to lift the pancake batter when it touches the hot pan.
只要一小匙化學膨鬆劑，鬆餅麵糊一碰到熱鍋就會膨起來。
small spoon of leavened (quantity)
Élise chose a gluten-free leavened so that her diabetic father could enjoy the muffins safely.
Élise 挑了一款無麩質的化學膨鬆劑，讓她有糖尿病的父親也能安心吃瑪芬。
The biscuit recipe failed because the leavened in the cupboard had lost its strength after two years.
餅乾失敗是因為櫥櫃裡那罐化學膨鬆劑放了兩年，已經失去效力。
- baking powder
the standard modern word for the same chemical agent; far more common in everyday recipes than 'leavened'
- baking soda
a more specific chemical leavening agent that needs an acid such as lemon juice to work
文法句型
[a/the] + leavened + [type]
用法筆記
Differs from sense 1 in that no living organism is involved — the lifting comes from a quick chemical reaction. Modern recipes almost always say 'baking powder' or 'baking soda' instead of this noun form.
常見錯誤
3. in literary use, something that softens, brightens, or improves a heavy mood, a
調劑；潤色
讓沉悶氣氛或情境變得輕快的元素
in literary use, something that softens, brightens, or improves a heavy mood, a serious group, or a dull situation — often a small touch of humour, kindness, or fresh thinking.
Zola was the cheerful leavened in the office, telling stories that pulled tired colleagues out of long meetings.
Zola 是辦公室裡開朗的調劑，總用故事把疲憊的同事從漫長會議中拉出來。
figurative noun: a person as a leavened
Her quiet kindness acted as a leavened among the angry voices in the meeting hall.
在會議廳憤怒的聲音之間，她安靜的善意成為一種調劑。
act as a leavened (figurative role)
The young teacher brought a leavened of fresh ideas to the old school's dusty curriculum.
那位年輕老師為這所古老學校沉悶的課程，帶來新想法的潤色。
Without some leavened of humour, the panel discussion turned into a long, tiring argument.
若沒有一些幽默作為調劑，這場座談會就會變成一場又長又累的爭論。
- burden
the opposite figurative force — something that makes a situation feel heavier rather than lighter
文法句型
a/the + leavened + (of/in) + [context]
用法筆記
Distinct from senses 1 and 2 because no baking is involved — the meaning has moved from the kitchen to general life. Often appears with 'of', naming the lightening element (a leavened of humour, of kindness, of fresh ideas).