Baking: leaven, leavener, or leavening?
Self-tutoring about baking terms: the tutor focuses on three that may all point to one meaning.
I hear about baking soda or baking powder being leavening agents, or “leaveners”. My wife calls them that, as do numerous online resources.
The Webster’s dictionary I’m reading offers a different opinion, calling such an ingredient a “leaven” or even a “leavening.” Collins agrees with “leaven”; Oxford Canadian agrees with “leavening”. None seems to mention “leavener.”
Online, “leavener” is easy to find. Is everyone right? Who knows? Interestingly, this spell checker seems happy with “leaven” and “leavening” but not “leavener.”
Source:
Mish, Frederick C. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 2004.
Barber, Katherine et al. Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Gilmour, Lorna. Collins Essential Canadian English Dictionary & Thesaurus. Glasgow: HarperCollins, 2006.
Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.