leach

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

leach, n. 

 See 3d Leech.  [1913 Webster]

leach, n. [Cf. As. leáh lye, G. lauge. See Lye.].

•  A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali.  [1913 Webster]
•  A tub or vat for leaching ashes, bark, etc.  [1913 Webster]

Leach tub, a wooden tub in which ashes are leached.

leach, v. t. [Written also leech and letch.].

•  To remove the soluble constituents from by subjecting to the action of percolating water or other liquid; as, to leach ashes or coffee.  [1913 Webster]
•  To dissolve out; -- often used with out; as, to leach out alkali from ashes.  [1913 Webster]

leach, v. i. 

 To part with soluble constituents by percolation.  [1913 Webster]

leach, n. 

 See Leech, a physician.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

leach, v.
1 tr. make (a liquid) percolate through some material.
2 tr. subject (bark, ore, ash, or soil) to the action of percolating fluid.
3 tr. & intr. (foll. by away, out) remove (soluble matter) or be removed in this way.

Derivative

leacher n.

Etymology

prob. repr. OE leccan to water, f. WG

THESAURUS

leach

abate, abrade, abstract, bate, bathe, bleed, bolt, brew, chemical solution, clarify, clear, colliquate, condense, curtail, cut, decoagulate, decoct, decoction, decrassify, decrease, deduct, deliquesce, depreciate, depurate, derogate, detract, diminish, discharge, disparage, dissolve, distill, douche, drain, drench, dribble, drip, dripple, drop, drouk, eat away, edulcorate, effuse, elute, emit, erode, essentialize, excrete, exfiltrate, extract, extravasate, exudate, exude, file away, filter, filtrate, fluidify, fluidize, flush, flux, fuse, give off, gurgle, hold in solution, imbrue, imbue, impair, impregnate, infiltrate, infuse, infusion, inject, lave, leachate, lessen, liquefy, liquesce, liquidize, lixiviate, lixivium, macerate, melt, melt down, mixture, ooze, percolate, permeate, purify, rectify, reduce, reek, refine, remove, retrench, rinse, rub away, run, saturate, screen, seep, seethe, separate, shorten, sieve, sift, soak, sodden, solubilize, solution, solve, sop, souse, spiritualize, spurtle, steep, strain, subduct, sublimate, sublime, subtract, sweat, take away, take from, thaw, thin, thin out, transpire, transude, trickle, try, unclot, wash, waterlog, wear away, weed, weep, winnow, withdraw