Meaning & use

leach

verb·Advanced

To remove a substance from soil, rock, or another material by the gradual action of water passing through it.

See it in a sentence

Heavy rain can leach nutrients out of the topsoil, leaving it less fertile.

Chemicals from the old landfill slowly leached into the groundwater below.

A note on using this word

Do not confuse "leach," to filter out through liquid, with "leech," a blood-sucking worm or an exploitative person.

Words with a similar meaning

drainseep out

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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