leach
verb (used with object)
to dissolve out soluble constituents from (ashes, soil, etc.) by percolation.
were leaching
-
past progressiveof leach.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
According to a report on the New York Department of Health’s website, benzene and other substances were leaching into the water, soil, and air.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2024
Earlier restoration work has removed rusting shipwrecks that were leaching iron onto the reefs, fueling the growth of an invasive anemonelike animal called a corallimorph, which smothers corals.
From Science Magazine ● Aug. 27, 2020
Galaznik said it was likely that Jace’s muscles so badly needed calcium that they were leaching it from his bones.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 16, 2020
“The salts in the water were leaching manganese—a neurotoxin—from the old pipes in the neighborhood,” he says.
From Scientific American ● Dec. 6, 2018
Feces from the perforated bowel were leaching into his abdomen.
From New York Times ● Jul. 14, 2014
