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What is "fig leaf"

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
fig leaf
noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ But there is more fig leaf than fact in this rationalization.
▪ But this fig leaf fooled no one.
▪ In other words it is Picasso without a fig leaf.
▪ The fig leaf, however, helped little.
▪ Within a few days of its unveiling Achilles was modestly kitted out with a fig leaf.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
fig leaf

fig leaf \fig leaf\

  1. The leaf from a fig tree.

  2. An ornamental design shaped like the leaf of a fig tree, used in architecture; also, a design shaped like a fig leaf to cover genitalia in sculpture or paintings -- in reference to the biblical story in Genesis of Adam and Eve, who covered their privates with fig leaves.

  3. Hence: [figurative] Anything used to conceal what is considered embarrassing or indecent. See sense 2.

Wiktionary
fig leaf

alt. 1 A leaf of the fig plant. 2 A representation of leaf of a fig plant used to cover the genitals of a nude figure in a work of art (''alluding to Genesis iii 7, in which Adam and Eve use fig leaves to hide their nakedness''). 3 (context figuratively English) Anything used to conceal something undesirable or that one does not want to be discovered. n. 1 A leaf of the fig plant. 2 A representation of leaf of a fig plant used to cover the genitals of a nude figure in a work of art (''alluding to Genesis iii 7, in which Adam and Eve use fig leaves to hide their nakedness''). 3 (context figuratively English) Anything used to conceal something undesirable or that one does not want to be discovered.

WordNet
fig leaf

  1. n. a leaf from a fig tree

  2. a covering consisting of anything intended to conceal something regarded as shameful

Wikipedia
Fig leaf

A fig leaf is widely used figuratively to convey the covering up of an act or an object that is embarrassing or distasteful with something of innocuous appearance, a metaphorical reference to the Biblical Book of Genesis, in which Adam and Eve used fig leaves to cover their nudity after eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Some paintings and statues have the genitals of their subjects covered by a representation of an actual fig leaf or similar object, either as part of the work or added afterwards for perceived modesty.

Usage examples of "fig leaf".

It was on the ground, under a fig leaf, where she had been looking for fruit.

She would simply pretend a fig leaf or some such covered his privates.

I suspect that when they first came back onto the surface, they used the fig leaf approach, but that quickly became pointless, as they are that exposed, it's that consistently warm, and natural biology from sex to taking a crap would be so, well, public.

It was of a slim young man, obviously a god, wearing nothing more than a hat with wings on, sandals with wings on and - Moist squinted - a fig leaf with wings on?

Brother, if you think finding a fig leaf in this town is easy, you can guess again.

After the meeting a bunch of us stopped in The Fig Leaf for a few beers.

The black box: a fig leaf in reverse, concealing identity while leaving shame exposed.