# Leigh

/ˈɫi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/leigh
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a meadow

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

an old word for a meadow or a grassy field.

For teachers: an open area of grassy land or a meadow. This term is archaic in general prose but persists in historical literature and as a component in place names.

- The sheep grazed in the quiet leigh as the sun began to set.
- The poet described the morning dew clinging to the grass of the silent leigh, evoking a pastoral scene from a bygone era.

Usage: Usually found in historical poetry or as a suffix in English town names like Hadleigh.

Teaching tip: This sense is archaic; learners will almost exclusively encounter 'Leigh' as a proper name rather than a common noun.

## Examples

- The sheep grazed quietly in the green leigh.
- The poet described a peaceful scene where the sun set slowly over the flowering leigh.

---

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.