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.
Related Words
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