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.
The drier air then travels down the leeward side of the mountain where it warms.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
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 then made the crew set pots facing into the wind so they got exposed to waves coming on board, rather than turning the vessel to offer more protection on the leeward side.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 3, 2022
Finding three large sycamores growing close together, we stopped on the leeward side.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
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.
