loose-leaf

[ loos-leef ]

adjective

1. (of a book, notebook, etc.) consisting of individual leaves held in a binder loose-leaf binder, as by rings that open and close, in such a way as to allow their removal, return, or replacement without tearing.
2. of or for use with a loose-leaf binder:

   loose-leaf paper.

loose-leaf

adjective

1. (of a binder, album, etc) capable of being opened to allow removal and addition of pages

noun

1. a serial publication published in loose leaves and kept in such a binder

Word History and Origins

Origin of loose-leaf¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

They’re packed so tightly and so neatly, like a ream of loose-leaf paper, that it’s hard to extricate one from the next.

From Los Angeles Times

When three Lahaina shops that sold Polipoli Farms pantry goods were destroyed in the fire, the Maui Hub, born of the pandemic, intervened to help Apana and Bayless supply their chewy banana snacks and māmaki-‘ulu loose-leaf tea to three other islands. “What happened in Lahaina will always be an epic reminder that community brings resiliency,” says Apana.

From Salon

On the next page she’s writing on loose-leaf paper: “Willy is my child/He is my father/I’d be his lady all my life/He says he’d love to live with me/But for an ancient injury.”

From New York Times

They first developed an e-cigarette called Ploom and later, developed Pax vaporizers for cannabis and loose-leaf tobacco.

From Salon

Last fall, the boba chain — known for its drinks made with organic milk, loose-leaf teas and homemade syrups — faced backlash after firing a worker from its flagship store in San Francisco’s Mission District; the worker said Boba Guys told her it was because she had made “inappropriate, disparaging” comments to co-workers that were sexual in nature, but she believed she had been fired for posting about unions in a company Slack channel.

From Los Angeles Times