foliage
UK: ˈfəʊliɪdʒ | US: ˈfoʊliɪdʒ
n. the leaves of a plant or tree, collectively; leafage.
foliage = foli<leaf> + age<collective noun suffix>
- foli (from Latin folium, meaning "leaf")
- age (a suffix forming nouns indicating a collection or state, from Old French -age, derived from Latin -aticum)
Etymology Origin:
The word "foliage" traces back to the Latin folium (leaf), which entered Old French as foille. The suffix -age was added in Middle English to denote a collective or related state, creating "foliage" to describe masses of leaves. This reflects a common pattern where Latin roots combine with French-derived suffixes to form English botanical terms.
The autumn foliage painted the mountains in vibrant shades of red and gold.
The garden's lush foliage provided a cool shade during summer.
Botanists study the foliage patterns to identify plant species.
Heavy rain damaged the delicate foliage of the tropical plants.
The artist sketched the intricate details of the tree's foliage.