leach

transitive verb

1. to cause (a liquid) to filter down through some material
2. to subject to the washing action of a filtering liquid: wood ashes are leached to extract lye
3. to extract (a soluble substance) from some material by causing water to filter down through the material: lye is leached from wood ashes

Origin: prob. < OE leccan, to water, irrigate, orig. a caus. form of base akin to ON leka: see leak

intransitive verb

1. to lose soluble matter as a result of the filtering through of water: soil that has leached badly
2. to dissolve and be washed away

noun

1. the action of leaching
2. a sievelike container used in leaching
3. leachate