nutrient-leaching
|nu-tri-ent-leach-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˈnuːtriənt ˈliːtʃɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˈnjuːtriənt ˈliːtʃɪŋ/
(nutrient leaching)
washing nutrients away
Etymology
'nutrient' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'nutrire', where the root 'nutri-' meant 'to nourish'; 'leach' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'lǣccan' (or related forms), where the root meant 'to soak or wash out'.
'nutrient' passed into English via Medieval Latin/'nutrimentum' and French influences to become 'nutrient' in modern English; 'leach' changed from Old English forms like 'lǣccan' into Middle English 'lechen' and eventually the modern English 'leach'.
Initially, the components meant 'to nourish' (nutrient) and 'to soak/wash out' (leach); combined in modern usage they describe the process or tendency of 'washing nutrients away', a more technical environmental/soil-science sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process by which soluble nutrients are washed out from soil or other materials by percolating water, reducing available fertility.
Nutrient-leaching after heavy rains reduced crop yields in the experimental plots.
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Adjective 1
causing or associated with the loss of nutrients by leaching (used to describe soils, rainfall, or practices that promote nutrient loss).
Sandy soils are particularly nutrient-leaching, so farmers must manage fertilization carefully.
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Last updated: 2025/10/24 07:21