leeward
Americanadjective
noun
adverb
adjective
noun
-
the point or quarter towards which the wind blows
-
the side towards the lee
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of leeward
Explanation
The adjective leeward describes an area or side of a boat that's facing away from the wind. If you move to the leeward side of your sailboat, you're shifting to the sheltered, downwind side. You're likely to hear the word leeward when you're on a boat, since wind direction is hugely important when you're sailing. You can, however, use it to describe any area that's protected from the wind, even when you're on land. Your tent might fare best if you pitch it on the leeward side of a valley, for example. The lee part of leeward comes from the Old English hleo, which means "shelter, defense, or protection."
Vocabulary lists containing leeward
The Cay
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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The Waste Land
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
My father was clambering to get us leeward against capsize when my mother took to the starboard bow.
From Salon • May 11, 2024
Areas in “severe drought” include Maui’s leeward side — where the now burned town of Lahaina is — while the windward side is considered “abnormally dry.”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 11, 2023
He looked out on the colony every day from a small food operation where visitors can picnic and hope they aren’t leeward of the day’s winds, for the colony can stink.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 12, 2022
Mr Cole-Hamilton, who was then 66, was able to help his friend around to the leeward side of the boat and the pair managed to right the craft.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2022
The door was leeward, but we all knew that later the wind would shift.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
