lee

[ lee ]

/ li /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for lee on Thesaurus.com

noun

protective shelter: The lee of the rock gave us some protection against the storm.

the side or part that is sheltered or turned away from the wind: We erected our huts under the lee of the mountain.

Chiefly Nautical. the quarter or region toward which the wind blows.

adjective

pertaining to, situated in, or moving toward the lee.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about lee

by the lee, Nautical. accidentally against what should be the lee side of a sail: Careless steering brought the wind by the lee.

under the lee, Nautical. to leeward.

Origin of lee

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hlēo(w) “shelter covering, protection,” cognate with Old Frisian hli, hly, Old Saxon hleo, Old Norse hlé

Words nearby lee

ledgy, Ledoux, Le Duc Tho, Ledyard, Led Zeppelin, lee, leeboard, leech, leech line, leech rope, Leeds

Other definitions for lee (2 of 2)

Lee

[ lee ]

/ li /

noun

Ann, 1736–84, British mystic: founder of Shaker sect in the United States.

Charles, 1731–82, American Revolutionary general, born in England.

Doris Em·rick

[em-rik], /ˈɛm rɪk/, 1905–1986, U.S. painter.

Fitz·hugh

[fits-hyoo or, often, -yoo; fits-hyoo or, often, -yoo], /ˈfɪtsˌhyu or, often, -ˌyu; fɪtsˈhyu or, often, -ˈyu/, 1835–1905, U.S. general and statesman (grandson of Henry Lee; nephew of Robert E. Lee).

Francis Light·foot

[lahyt-foot], /ˈlaɪtˌfʊt/, 1734–97, American Revolutionary statesman (brother of Richard H. Lee).

Gypsy Rose Rose Louise Hovick, 1914–70, U.S. entertainer.

Harper, 1926–2016, U.S. novelist.

Henry "Light-Horse Harry", 1756–1818, American Revolutionary general (father of Robert E. Lee).

Kuan Yew

[kwahn yoo], /kwɑn yu/, 1923–2015, Singapore political leader: prime minister 1959–90.

Man·fred Bennington

[man-frid], /ˈmæn frɪd/, "Ellery Queen", 1905–71, U.S. mystery writer, in collaboration with Frederic Dannay.

Richard Henry, 1732–94, American Revolutionary statesman (brother of Francis L. Lee).

Robert E(dward), 1807–70, U.S. soldier and educator: Confederate general in the American Civil War (son of Henry Lee).

Sir Sidney, 1859–1926, English biographer and critic.

Spike Shelton Jackson Lee, born 1957, U.S. film director, screenwriter, and actor.

Tsung-Dao

[dzoong-dou], /ˈdzʊŋˈdaʊ/, born 1926, Chinese physicist in the United States: Nobel Prize 1957.

a town in western Massachusetts: part of the Berkshire resort area.

a male or female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lee in a sentence

In the winter of 1987, Lee and her family settled in Toronto.
Hong Kong is about to see a Tiananmen-era wave of migration|Karen Ho|August 16, 2020|Quartz
This means one of the group’s other functions has become helping newcomers effectively lead a protest if they don’t know how, Lee said.
The Art of Protest Promotion|Bella Ross|June 22, 2020|Voice of San Diego
By around 900, Mongolian women fought in wars and held political power, Lee says.
Skeletons hint that ancient societies had women warriors|Bruce Bower|May 28, 2020|Science News For Students
So Lee has helped develop a new type of microneedle — one that can barely be felt.
Micro-barbs could make shots less painful|Stephen Ornes|May 13, 2020|Science News For Students

So make a pact with your friends to put your screens away during certain times of the day, Lee suggests.
How to cope as COVID-19 imposes social distancing|Sheila Mulrooney Eldred|March 23, 2020|Science News For Students
Lee and Coogan did briefly meet with the pope, with pictures to prove it, but no one at the Vatican officially screened the film.
Pope Francis Has the Pleasure of Meeting Angelina Jolie for a Few Seconds|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Twelve-year-old dance prodigy Maddie Ziegler has suffered the wrath of Dance Moms tyrant Abby Lee Miller.
See Burly Shia LaBeouf Interpretive Cage Fight Lil Sia in the Singer’s Fantastic New Music Video|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What stuck in my mind were the two supporting actors, Gloria Grahame and Lee Marvin.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In my opinion Lee was one of the greatest actors of all time.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Little did I know that Lee had actually been born into a wealthy family.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was seen just in time to put the helm a-lee, or we should have run upon it.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Lee's army is sweeping victoriously through Maryland; Harper's Ferry taken with ten thousand prisoners.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Afterward, when the news came that Lee had succeeded in getting his army safely across the Potomac, Mr. Middleton's hopes revived.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Consequently, the official voting was postponed for three weeks, but Lee's resolution was adopted by the Congress on July 2, 1776.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
Lee realized the wonderful honor for which he had been selected and was deeply appreciative.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey

British Dictionary definitions for lee (1 of 3)

lee

/ (liː) /

noun

a sheltered part or side; the side away from the direction from which the wind is blowing

by the lee nautical so that the wind is blowing on the wrong side of the sail

under the lee nautical towards the lee

adjective

(prenominal) nautical on, at, or towards the side or part away from the windon a lee shore Compare weather (def. 5)

Word Origin for lee

Old English hlēow shelter; related to Old Norse hle

British Dictionary definitions for lee (2 of 3)

Lee¹

/ (liː) /

noun

a river in SW Republic of Ireland, flowing east into Cork Harbour. Length: about 80 km (50 miles)

British Dictionary definitions for lee (3 of 3)

Lee²

/ (liː) /

noun

Ang (æŋ). born 1954, Taiwanese film director; his films include Sense and Sensibility (1995), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Brokeback Mountain (2005), and Life of Pi (2012)

Bruce, original name Lee Yuen Kam . 1940–73, US film actor and kung fu expert who starred in such films as Enter the Dragon (1973)

Gypsy Rose, original name Rose Louise Hovick . 1914–70, US striptease and burlesque artiste, who appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies (1936) and in films

Laurie (ˈlɒrɪ). 1914–97, British poet and writer, best known for the autobiographical Cider with Rosie (1959)

Richard Henry. 1732–94, American Revolutionary statesman, who moved the resolution in favour of American independence (1776)

Robert E (dward). 1807–70, American general; commander-in-chief of the Confederate armies in the Civil War

Spike, real name Shelton Jackson Lee. born 1957, US film director: his films include She's Gotta Have It (1985), Malcolm X (1992), and the documentary When the Leeves Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2008)

T (sung) -D (ao) (tsuːŋ daʊ). born 1926, US physicist, born in China. With Yang he disproved the principle that that parity is always conserved and shared the Nobel prize for physics in 1957

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

lee

Idioms about lee

Origin of lee

Words nearby lee

Other definitions for lee (2 of 2)

Words related to lee

How to use lee in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lee (1 of 3)

Word Origin for lee

British Dictionary definitions for lee (2 of 3)

British Dictionary definitions for lee (3 of 3)