Word
lee
US/ˈɫi/
UK/lˈiː/
Definitions
01shelter from wind
n. a place or side that is protected from the wind by something like a wall, a hill, or a ship.
n. the side of an object or a location that is sheltered from the prevailing wind.
“We stood in the lee of the old stone wall to escape the cold breeze.”
“The hikers sought the lee of the ridge, hoping the massive granite outcropping would provide enough shelter to pitch their tents safely.”
Literary
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'in the lee of'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02nautical side
n. the side of a ship that is away from the wind.
n. the side of a vessel that is sheltered from the wind; the opposite of the windward side.
“The sailors moved to the lee of the boat as the waves crashed against the other side.”
“The captain ordered the crew to lower the small boat on the lee side to ensure a calmer launch away from the gale.”
Technical
Teaching tip
While primarily nautical, this sense is essential for understanding maritime literature and technical sailing manuals.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03facing away from wind
adj. describes something that faces away from the wind or water flow.
adj. pertaining to the side or direction sheltered from the wind or the flow of a fluid.
“The lee side of the island has much calmer water than the side facing the ocean.”
“Geologists noted that the lee slopes of the dunes were significantly steeper than the windward faces due to the way sand was deposited.”
Technical
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Old English lēa, the dative case of lēah (“meadow”), originally to denote someone who lived near a meadow.
From Irish Laoi, perhaps from an ancient personal name.
From Chinese: * Mandarin: 李 (Lǐ), and other less common surnames such as 黎 (Lí). * Cantonese: 李 (lei5), and other less common surnames such as 利 (lei6). * Hokkien: 李 (Lí), Teochew: 李 (li2). * Hakka: 李 (Lí).
Transcription of Korean 이(李) (I) and 리(李) (Ri).
A diminutive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/lee