leach1
- to dissolve out soluble constituents from (ashes, soil, etc.) by percolation.
- to cause (water or other liquid) to percolate through something.
- (of ashes, soil, etc.) to undergo the action of percolating water.
- to percolate, as water.
- the act or process of leaching.
- a product or solution obtained by leaching; leachate.
- the material leached.
- a vessel for use in leaching.
Origin of leach1
leach2
leech3
or leach
- either of the lateral edges of a square sail.
- the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail.
Origin of leech3
Examples from the Web for leach
Contemporary Examples
Leach ran an ad teasing Margolies about her Clinton connection, dismissing the first family of Democratic politics as old news.
Leach was active in several moderate groups during his 30 years in the House, losing his bid for reelection in 2006.
But through trial and error, Leach and his co-founder Randy Crochet, a real estate investor, improved the product.
Historical Examples
The next instant, Mr. Leach reported the anchor catted and fished.
Homeward BoundJames Fenimore Cooper
Mr. Leach hailed the boats, and ordered them to send their gang of labourers on shore.
Homeward BoundJames Fenimore Cooper
Heave the hussy up to her anchor, Mr. Leach, when we will cast an eye to her moorings.
Homeward BoundJames Fenimore Cooper
I say Leach, perhaps he might lend us a hand when it comes to the pinch with poor Monday.
Homeward BoundJames Fenimore Cooper
"They generally give 'em prayer, in the river, in this stage of the attack," said Leach.
Homeward BoundJames Fenimore Cooper
leach1
- to remove or be removed from a substance by a percolating liquid
- to lose or cause to lose soluble substances by the action of a percolating liquid
- another word for percolate (def. 1), percolate (def. 2)
- the act or process of leaching
- a substance that is leached or the constituents removed by leaching
- a porous vessel for leaching
Word Origin
leach2
- a variant spelling of leech 2
Leach
- Bernard (Howell). 1887–1979, British potter, born in Hong Kong
leech1
- any annelid worm of the class Hirudinea, which have a sucker at each end of the body and feed on the blood or tissues of other animalsSee also horseleech, medicinal leech
- a person who clings to or preys on another person
- an archaic word for physician
- (in combination)leechcraft
- cling like a leech to cling or adhere persistently to something
- (tr) to use leeches to suck the blood of (a person), as a method of medical treatment
Word Origin
leech2
leach
- nautical the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail or either of the vertical edges of a squaresail
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for leach
v.
Old English leccan "to moisten, water, wet, irrigate," (see leak). The word disappears, then re-emerges late 18c. in a technological sense in reference to percolating liquids. Related: Leached; leaching.
leech
n.1
"bloodsucking aquatic worm," from Old English læce (Kentish lyce), of unknown origin (with a cognate in Middle Dutch lake). Commonly regarded as a transferred use of leech (n.2), but the Old English forms suggest a distinct word, which has been assimilated to leech (n.2) by folk etymology [see OED]. Figuratively applied to human parasites since 1784.
leech
n.2
obsolete for "physician," from Old English læce, probably from Old Danish læke, from Proto-Germanic *lekjaz "enchanter, one who speaks magic words; healer, physician" (cf. Old Frisian letza, Old Saxon laki, Old Norse læknir, Old High German lahhi, Gothic lekeis "physician"), literally "one who counsels," perhaps connected with a root found in Celtic (cf. Irish liaig "charmer, exorcist, physician") and Slavic (cf. Serbo-Croatian lijekar, Polish lekarz), from PIE *lep-agi "conjurer," from root *leg- "to collect," with derivatives meaning "to speak" (see lecture (n.)).
For sense development, cf. Old Church Slavonic baliji "doctor," originally "conjurer," related to Serbo-Croatian bajati "enchant, conjure;" Old Church Slavonic vrači, Russian vrač "doctor," related to Serbo-Croatian vrač "sorcerer, fortune-teller." The form merged with leech (n.1) in Middle English, apparently by folk etymology. In 17c., leech usually was applied only to veterinary practitioners. The fourth finger of the hand, in Old English, was læcfinger, translating Latin digitus medicus, Greek daktylus iatrikos, supposedly because a vein from that finger stretches straight to the heart.
leech
(lēch)- Any of various chiefly aquatic bloodsucking or carnivorous annelid worms of the class Hirudinea, one species of which (Hirudo medicinalis) was formerly used by physicians to bleed patients.
- To bleed with leeches.