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lievitare

to rise

verb lyeh-vee-TAH-reh Rare

Also means

to leaven

Usage Note

Lievitare literally means for dough to rise thanks to yeast (lievito). Figuratively it is widely used for prices, costs, or numbers that swell upward: i prezzi lievitano (prices are soaring). The auxiliary is essere when used intransitively (l'impasto è lievitato). Do not confuse with levitare (to levitate — float in the air), a near-homophone.

Examples

"L'impasto deve lievitare per due ore."

Natural Translation

The dough must rise for two hours.

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