leach
leach Lexical Profile
leach Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To dissolve and drain away from soil, ash, or another material by the action of a percolating liquid (of a soluble chemical or mineral).
"Heavy spring rains caused agricultural nitrates to leach into the underlying groundwater."
To remove soluble constituents from a substance, or to extract a substance from a solid, by passing liquid through it.
"Continuous irrigation without proper drainage can leach essential nutrients from the topsoil."
• noun
The process of dissolving and removing soluble constituents from a substance, such as soil or ore, by the action of a percolating liquid.
"The chemical engineer monitored the leach to ensure maximum recovery of copper from the crushed ore."
A porous vessel or tank in which ashes, ore, or other materials are subjected to the action of a percolating liquid, or the resulting solution itself.
"Wood ashes were packed into a wooden leach to produce lye for traditional soapmaking."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'leach' (to drain away or dissolve out by the action of a percolating liquid) with its homophone 'leech' (a bloodsucking worm or a person who sponges off others).
• Rhymes for leach
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'leccan' meaning 'to moisten, water, or irrigate', from Proto-Germanic '*lakjanan'.