lees

L1E1E1S1
/liːz/

noun

The sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit.

Similar
dregs
OriginOld French lies ← Medieval Latin lias ← Gaulish *ligyā →
Less commonScrabble 4
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Meanings

lees1

nounlees pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyThe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit.

    Methinks my body is but the lees of my better being.

    1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chapter 7
    1 more example

    Kipper drained his glass to the lees and seemed to become calmer.

    1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter X

    Synonyms: dregs

lees2

noun
  1. pluralplural of lee

Lees3

proper nounLees (countable and uncountable, plural Leeses)

plural Leeses

  1. countableA surname.
  2. A placename:
    1. countableuncountableA village in Dalbury Lees parish, South Derbyshire district, Derbyshire, England (OS grid ref SK2637).
    2. countableuncountableA village in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England (OS grid ref SD9504).
proper noun
  1. pluralplural of Lee

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit.

Similar
dregs
Also see
dregs

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*legʰ-“to lie (down)”
  2. Proto-Celtic*legyā“layer”
  3. Gaulish*ligyā
  4. Medieval Latinlias“lees, dregs”
  5. Old Frenchlies
  6. Englishlees

From Old French lies, from Medieval Latin lias (“lees, dregs”) (descent via winemaking common in monasteries), from Gaulish *ligyā, *legyā (“silt, sediment”) (compare Welsh llai, Old Breton leh (“deposit, silt”)), from Proto-Celtic *legyā (“layer”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie (down)”). Doublet of lias; also related to Loire and Leicester.

More words from Old French, Medieval Latin, Gaulish

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek τρύξ
  • τρύξ (trúx)the sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Bulgarian утайка
  • утайка (utajka)the sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Catalan pòsit
  • pòsitthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Esperanto feĉo
  • feĉothe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Finnish sakka
  • sakkathe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
French lie
  • liethe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Hungarian seprő, üledék
  • seprőthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
  • üledékthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
  • aljathe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Icelandic dreggjar, botnfall
  • dreggjarthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
  • botnfallthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Irish moirt, dríodar
  • moirtthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
  • dríodarthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
  • amhaiscthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Italian feccia
  • fecciathe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Japanese 澱
  • 澱 (ori)the sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Latin floces
  • flocesthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Lithuanian drum̃zlės
  • drum̃zlėsthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Polish osad
  • osadthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Russian оса́док
  • оса́док (osádok)the sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Spanish heces, hez
  • hecesthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
  • hezthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit
Welsh gwaelodion
  • gwaelodionthe sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with lees

pleasediseasefeesJapanesetreeskeysexpertiseoverseaseasePortugueseBelizeprixVietnameseLouisefreezebreezeteespressqueezeLebanesefriesteaseseizeMaltese
All rhymes →

Anagrams

elsesleeseleseel
Cite this entry
APA

lees. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lees

MLA

“lees.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lees. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lees,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lees.

Source: lees on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.