# lees

/ˈɫiz/ (US) · /lˈiːz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lees
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. drink sediment

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the solid bits that settle at the bottom of a container of wine or beer during fermentation.

For teachers: the dregs or sediment, consisting of yeast and organic matter, that settle during the fermentation of wine or other liquids.

- The winemaker carefully separated the clear liquid from the lees at the bottom of the barrel.
- Aging the Chardonnay on the lees for several months imparted a distinctively creamy texture and complex nutty notes to the final vintage.

Usage: Usually plural; often used in the phrase 'on the lees' in winemaking contexts.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specialized term. Outside of winemaking or chemistry, it is rarely encountered except in literary metaphors referring to the 'dregs' of society or life.

### 2. the worst part

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

the most unpleasant or least valuable part of something.

For teachers: the most worthless or undesirable part of something; the metaphorical dregs.

- He felt he had drunk the lees of life and had nothing left to look forward to.
- The poet wrote of a man who had reached the very lees of his existence, abandoned by friends and stripped of his former dignity.

Usage: Typically used metaphorically in formal or poetic writing.

Teaching tip: Advise students that this sense is almost exclusively found in 19th-century literature or high-register modern prose.

## Examples

- The winemaker carefully separated the clear liquid from the lees.
- After the wine had aged for several months, the thick lees were filtered out to ensure a clear final product.
- Some traditional sparkling wines are aged on the lees to develop a complex, yeasty character and a creamier texture on the palate.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.