Leach

Pronunciation

• UK enPR: lÄ“ch, IPA: /liːtʃ/
• Homophones: leech
• Rhymes: -iːtʃ

Origin

From Middle English leche ("leachate"), from Old English *lǣċ, *lǣċe ("muddy stream"), from Proto-Germanic *lēkijō ("a leak, drain, flow"), from Proto-Germanic *lēk-, *lak-, *likaną ("to leak, drain"), from Proto-Indo-European *leg(')- ("to leak"). Cognate with Old English leċċan ("to water, moisten"), Old English lacu ("stream, pool, pond"). More at leak, lake.

Full definition of leach

Noun

1. A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali.
2. A tub or vat for leaching ashes, bark, etc.
• 1894, Robert Barr, In the Midst of Alarms, ch. 7:"This is the leach," said Kitty, pointing to a large, yellowish, upright wooden cylinder, which rested on some slanting boards, down the surface of which ran a brownish liquid that dripped into a trough.
3. (nautical) Alternative spelling of leech

Verb

1. (transitive) To purge a soluble matter out of something by the action of a percolating fluid.Heavy rainfall can leach out minerals important for plant growth from the soil.
• 21 April 2014, Mary Keen, You can still teach an old gardener new tricks: Even the hardiest of us gardeners occasionally learn useful new techniques [print version: Gardening is always ready to teach even the hardiest of us a few new tricks, 19 April 2014], The very wet winter will have washed much of the goodness out of the soil. Homemade compost and the load of manure we get from a friendly farmer may not be enough to compensate for what has leached from the ground.
2. (intransitive) To part with soluble constituents by percolation.

Usage notes

Do not confuse this verb with the verb leech.

Derived terms

• leachate

Anagrams

• chela