leach

1 of 2

noun

less common spelling of leech

1

: either vertical edge of a square sail

2

: the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail

leach

2 of 2

verb

ˈlēch 

leached; leaching; leaches

transitive verb

1

: to dissolve out by the action of a percolating liquid

leach out alkali from ashes

2

: to subject to the action of percolating (see percolate sense 1a) liquid (such as water) in order to separate the soluble components

3

a

: to remove (nutritive or harmful elements) from soil by percolation (see percolate sense 1a)

soil leached of its salts by torrential rains

b

: to draw out or remove as if by percolation

all meaning has been leached from my life

intransitive verb

: to pass out or through by percolation

Nutrients leached out of the soil with rainwater.

leachability

ˌlē-chə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

leachable

ˈlē-chə-bəl 

adjective

leacher noun

Examples of leach in a Sentence

Verb

Even a small amount of rain can leach the toxic material from the soil.

Certain kinds of treated wood can leach chemicals into the soil.

The chemical eventually leaches away from the soil.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Health and environmental activists and residents grew concerned that the torn cables were leaching lead into the lake, which is a popular swimming destination and provides drinking water for some nearby households. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024

Then, soak in fresh water for up to an hour to help leach out some of the salt from the meat. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2024

Scrupulous use of fertilizers requires less of a production carbon footprint and in many cases less runoff or leaching of nitrate and phosphorus. —Steven Savage, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

Freeport-McMoRan continues to focus on its leaching innovation initiatives, which contributed 164 million pounds of incremental copper production for the first nine months of 2024. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

leach vessel through which water is passed to extract lye

First Known Use

Verb

1796, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

leach

verb

ˈlēch

: to pass a liquid through to carry off the soluble components

also : to dissolve out by such means

leach minerals from rocks

Medical Definition

leach

transitive verb

ˈlēch 

1

: to subject to the action of percolating liquid (as water) in order to separate the soluble components

2

: to dissolve out by the action of a percolating liquid

intransitive verb

: to pass out or through by percolation

leachability

ˌlē-chə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural leachabilities

leachable

ˈlē-chə-bəl 

adjective