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

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 noun
leachable 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
Noun
When acidic foods are cooked in cast-iron pans, small amounts of iron leach into the food during the cooking process. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2023 The calcium that leaches from the bones is expelled in urine, increasing the risk of kidney stones. Kim Tingley, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023 The cups were placed in temperate water or sediment and left to leach for up to four weeks. Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 1 Sep. 2023 Landlords are leaches that HORDE THE SUPPLY of housing. E. J. Antoni, National Review, 21 Oct. 2023 There are concerns, for instance, that seawater could corrode pipes and leach heavy metals into the water supply, said Holly Michael, a hydrogeologist at the University of Delaware and director of the Delaware Environmental Institute. Denise Chow, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2023 On top of being a huge source of emissions, excess nitrogen leaches into waterways, causing algal blooms. Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 5 Sep. 2023 The monument, situated along the Arizona Strip, aims to protect the Grand Canyon from more uranium mining, which Native Americans said would despoil many sacred ancestral sites, leach into aquifers and threaten water supplies. Mark Eddington, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023 With the goal of raising that money to invest in startups across Ohio, leach will run the daily operations once that 500 million goal is reached. Laura Johnston, cleveland, 13 July 2023
Verb
One avenue to investigate is whether chemicals from the plastics leached into the plaques, said Zhou, who studies the chemicals inside plastic products. Elaine Chen, STAT, 6 Mar. 2024 This heavy-duty, durable machine uses a glass cooking beaker to ensure that food always tastes fresh and that no odors or flavors will leach into your purees. Laura Denby, Parents, 29 Feb. 2024 Following extensive research over the last decade that found the chemicals can leach into food and may be associated with serious health problems in humans, food manufacturers gradually began to phase them out. Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 The latter can leach into food chains, contaminate water supplies and have negative developmental affects on children and others. Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 At the end of a visit at a major textile dyeing factory, his customer took him behind the buildings to show a horrific scene: A blood-red river—wastewater from the dye baths leaching into the soil and entering the rivers. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Nov. 2023 The harmful pollutant has leached into water in many parts of the valley from sources including fertilizers, dairies and septic tanks. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 The bottom line: There’s just not evidence of toxic material leaching out of solar panels in the rain. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024 One part of their proposal to the county was to test whether building material with sargassum might leach out any dangerous compounds. Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leach.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of leach was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near leach

Cite this Entry

“Leach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leach. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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
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 noun
plural leachabilities
leachable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on leach

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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