leach

Everyday

1. (science) To leach is when water slowly washes chemicals or minerals out of soil, rock or another material. tree →
2. To leach is when a substance slowly seeps out of something, like colour or chemicals from plastic. tree →

In the lessons

Science and geography: rain leaches nutrients from soil; chemicals leach into rivers. Everyday: colour leaches from clothes in the wash. It tells the reader about something slowly draining away.

Examples

• Heavy rain leaches nutrients out of the soil. tree →
• Chemicals from the tip leached into the river. tree →
• Colour leached from the red sock into the white shirt. tree →
• Over years, salt leaches out of the rock. tree →
• Some plastics can leach chemicals into hot food. tree →
• The farmers added fertiliser because the soil was leached. tree →

Note

Homophone trap: «leach» (to seep out) vs «leech» (a blood-sucking worm). Regular: leached.