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.

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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.

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Other Word Forms

• non-leaching
  adjective

Example Sentences

The chemical is essential in the leaching process of copper, which involves extracting the metal from copper ore.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

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

This unusual imbalance suggested that liquid water had once seeped through the rocks, effectively leaching lutetium out of them.

From Science Daily • Oct. 16, 2025

The darkness flashed again, momentarily leaching the color from the horizon.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan