leach

IPA/liːtʃ/
KK[lˈitʃ]IPA/liːtʃ/

leach — verb

  • leachpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • leacheshe / she / it
  • leachedpast simple
  • leaching-ing form

1. When a chemical, mineral, or nutrient separates from soil, rock, or other materi

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

When a chemical, mineral, or nutrient separates from soil, rock, or other material because water passes through it and carries the substance away — for example, when rainwater removes salt from the ground or when minerals flow out of rocks into a river.

例句

Noor noticed that salt had leached from the clay pots after several days of rain.

intransitive: leach + from + noun (material)

Chemicals from old batteries can leach into the groundwater and harm nearby wildlife.

intransitive: leach + into + location (groundwater)

同義詞
  • seep

    suggests slow movement through small openings rather than chemical dissolution; less technical

  • drain

    emphasises removal of liquid itself, not necessarily dissolved substances

  • filter through

    describes the liquid's journey rather than the substance being removed

反義詞
  • absorb

    a material takes in a substance instead of releasing it

  • retain

    the material keeps the substance inside rather than losing it to moving water

文法句型

leach + from + noun (intransitive)

leach + noun + from + noun (transitive)

be leached + from + noun (passive)

用法筆記

Frequently used in passive form when the focus is on the substance being removed rather than on what does the removing. The agent (usually water or rain) can be mentioned with 'by'. Intransitive use (substance + leach + from/into) does not take a direct object.

常見錯誤

❌The chemicals leaked into the ground.' (when meaning they were carried by water through soil).
✅The chemicals leached into the ground.
💡'leak' means something escapes through a hole; 'leach' means it is dissolved and carried by moving water.
❌Oil leached from the rocks by rainwater.' (missing auxiliary).
✅Oil was leached from the rocks by rainwater.
💡when the agent (rainwater) is stated, use passive form.

2. When a liquid flows through soil, rock, or other material and carries away the c

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

When a liquid flows through soil, rock, or other material and carries away the chemicals or nutrients inside — for example, when farmers wash salt out of coastal fields, or when hot water pulls vitamins out of vegetables.

例句

Years of heavy rain had leached the farmland of nearly all its natural minerals.

transitive: leach + noun + of + noun

Yuki learned that boiling spinach for too long can leach vitamins out of the leaves.

同義詞
  • strip

    stronger and less technical; suggests complete removal

  • drain

    focuses on removing liquid rather than dissolved solids

  • wash out

    less formal phrasal verb with the same meaning

反義詞
  • enrich

    to add nutrients to material, the opposite of removing them

  • fertilise

    to add substances that improve soil quality

文法句型

leach + noun + from + noun

leach + noun + out of + noun

be leached + of + noun (passive)

be leached (passive, no preposition)

用法筆記

The material being acted upon (soil, rocks, plant matter) is the direct object. The removed substance follows 'of' or is introduced by 'from'/'out of'. Strongly prefers passive in environmental and agricultural contexts ('soil was leached'), while active voice is more common when describing a deliberate human action ('workers leached the salt').

常見錯誤

❌The rain leached from the soil.' (confusing subject and object).
✅The rain leached nutrients from the soil.
💡in sense 2, the liquid (rain) is the agent doing the removing; the soil is the material being acted upon.