ley

[ley, lee]

noun, adjective

lea¹.

ley

[ley]

noun

leu.

ley

[ley]

noun

a pewter containing about 80 percent tin and 20 percent lead.

Origin of ley

aphetic variant of obsolete aley alloy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for leys

Historical Examples of leys

The Leys for generations have been as proud as turkey-cocks, added Mrs. Branderton.
Mrs. Craddock
W. Somerset Maugham
If they had to part, it could not be under Miss Leys cold eyes.
Mrs. Craddock
W. Somerset Maugham
Youre sure to make a mess of things and come back—the Leys always do.
Mrs. Craddock
W. Somerset Maugham
And it sounds funny that people called Craddock should live at Court Leys.
Mrs. Craddock
W. Somerset Maugham
Through Leys the history of art was not enriched with anything new.
The History of Modern Painting, Volume 1 (of 4)
Richard Muther

British Dictionary definitions for leys

ley

noun

arable land put down to grass; grassland or pastureland
Also called: ley line a line joining two prominent points in the landscape, thought to be the line of a prehistoric track

Word Origin for ley

C14: variant of lea 1

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

Word Origin and History for leys

ley

"line of a prehistoric track; alignment of natural and artificial features," 1922 [Alfred Watkins], apparently a variant of lea. Popular topic in Britain in 1920s and 30s and again in 1960s-70s.