leach

 
Pronunciation: /liːtʃ/

verb

[with adverbial of direction]
  • (with reference to a soluble chemical or mineral) drain away from soil, ash, or similar material by the action of percolating liquid, especially rainwater: [with object]: the nutrient is quickly leached away [no object]: pesticides and fertilizers that leach into rivers
  • [with object] subject (soil, ash, etc.) to a leaching process: ash is readily leached

Origin:

Old English leccan 'to water', of West Germanic origin. The current sense dates from the mid 19th century

Do not confuse leech with leach. Leech means 'a bloodsucking worm' or 'exploit someone' ( he’s leeching off the abilities of others), whereas leach means 'remove a substance from soil by the action of water' ( the nutrient is quickly leached away).