leaching

American  

[leech-ing] / ˈlitʃ ɪŋ /

noun

plural

leachings

1. the dissolution or removal of substances out of soil, ashes, or the like by a process of percolation.

2. an instance of such dissolution, or a substance removed in this way.

---

leaching Scientific  

/ lē′chĭng /

1. The removal of soluble material from a substance, such as soil or rock, through the percolation of water. Organic matter is typically removed from a soil horizon and soluble metals or salts from a rock by leaching. Leaching differs from eluviation in that it affects soluble, not suspended, material and often results in the complete removal of the material from the soil or rock.

---

Other Word Forms

• non-leaching adjective

Example Sentences

Nickel and cobalt processing are also seeing higher costs because sulfur is used in high-pressure acid leaching.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Audience trust is leaching away fast and Brits are increasingly refusing to pay up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

With rare earths, it's not so much about the mining footprint, rather the processing that is a dirty business – because it involves extraction, leaching, thermal cracking and refining which produce radioactive components.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2025

The most alarmist was probably an offering from The Atlantic, which was headlined: “Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula/It’s probably leaching chemicals into your cooking oil.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2024

It's as if the leaves are actually leaching the pain right out of the sting.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins