leach

C2 Topic:Environment & Ecology

US /liːtʃ/ UK /liːtʃ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like reach /l/ vs /ɹ/ Sounds like lease /tʃ/ vs /s/

Freq #27290

Meanings

1

verb
to remove soluble substances from a material by passing liquid through it

Heavy rain can leach nitrogen from sandy soil.
2

verb
of a dissolved substance: to seep or drain gradually through soil or another porous material

Toxic metals may leach into the groundwater after a flood.
3

noun
a bed, vat, or quantity of material through which liquid is passed to extract soluble substances

The workers poured water through the ash leach to produce an alkaline solution.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to remove soluble... wash outextractdissolve out

2 verb · of a dissolved substance:... seep percolate filter

3 noun · a bed, vat, or quantity of... leach vatleaching bed

Word family

Forms leached

Derived forms leachingleachableleachateleacherunleached

Related forms leak percolate draindemineralize

Etymology

The verb's origin is uncertain. It is probably related to older leach or letch, a perforated vessel for extracting lye from ashes, and ultimately to Germanic words for wetting, leaking, and draining. The chemical sense preserves liquid passing through material; Walden's 'leach hole' applies that seepage idea to a supposed pond outlet.

Topics

Environment & Ecology

External links

# leach

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /liːtʃ/
**IPA (UK):** /liːtʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 27290

## Meanings
1. to remove soluble substances from a material by passing liquid through it
2. of a dissolved substance: to seep or drain gradually through soil or another porous material
3. a bed, vat, or quantity of material through which liquid is passed to extract soluble substances

## Examples
- Heavy rain can leach nitrogen from sandy soil.
- Toxic metals may leach into the groundwater after a flood.
- The workers poured water through the ash leach to produce an alkaline solution.

## Synonyms
- wash out
- extract
- seep
- percolate
- leaching bed

## Derived Forms
- leaching
- leachable
- leachate
- leacher
- unleached

## Related Forms
- leak
- percolate
- drain
- demineralize

## Etymology
The verb's origin is uncertain. It is probably related to older leach or letch, a perforated vessel for extracting lye from ashes, and ultimately to Germanic words for wetting, leaking, and draining. The chemical sense preserves liquid passing through material; Walden's 'leach hole' applies that seepage idea to a supposed pond outlet.

## Topics
- Environment & Ecology

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