less common spelling of leech
1
: either vertical edge of a square sail
2
: the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail
leached; leaching; leaches
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
: to pass out or through by percolation
Nutrients leached out of the soil with rainwater.
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
Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 27 Nov. 2024
That’s more than double what comparable testing showed in 2015 in Flint, a year after the Michigan city switched its water source to the Flint River in a cost-cutting move but failed to properly treat it, leading to lead and other contaminants leaching into drinking water.
—Kyla Guilfoil, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for leach 
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show current usage.
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Verb
Flint, Michigan became the poster city for the all-too-common problem of lead leaching into drinking water via a devastating combination of water chemistry and old infrastructure.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 27 Nov. 2024
That’s more than double what comparable testing showed in 2015 in Flint, a year after the Michigan city switched its water source to the Flint River in a cost-cutting move but failed to properly treat it, leading to lead and other contaminants leaching into drinking water.
—Kyla Guilfoil, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for leach
Dictionary Entries Near leach
Cite this Entry
“Leach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leach. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
leach
transitive verb1
: 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
: to pass out or through by percolation
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