What does "lea" mean?
An open field, meadow, pasture.
Lea
/liː/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An open field, meadow, pasture.
- Grammar: lea is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: pasture, campo, countryside setting, field.
- Useful contrasts: desert, industrial landscape, urban area.
- Usage evidence: The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea, The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
How to use "lea"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lea" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lea" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lea" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lea" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lea" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "pasture" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lea", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An open field, meadow, pasture.
"The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea, The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me."
- 2 Any of several measures of yarn; for linen, 300 yards (275 m); for cotton, 120 yards (110 m).
- 3 Initialism of law enforcement agency. US, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 4 a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock wordnet
- 5 A set of warp threads carried by a loop of the heddle.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Initialism of local education authority. England, Wales, abbreviation, alt-of, historical, initialism
- 7 a unit of length of thread or yarn wordnet
- 8 Initialism of local electoral area. Ireland, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name from Hebrew, form of Leah.
- 2 An English surname from Middle English, a variant of Lee.
- 3 A river in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex and Greater London, England, also called the Lee, which flows into the River Thames at Poplar.
- 4 A village in Dethick, Lea and Holloway parish, Amber Valley borough, Derbyshire, England (OS grid ref SK3257).
- 5 A village and civil parish in south-east Herefordshire, England (OS grid ref SO6521).
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A village and civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England (OS grid ref SD4930).
- 7 A village and civil parish in West Lindsey district, Lincolnshire, England (OS grid ref SK8286).
- 8 A village in Lea and Cleverton parish, north Wiltshire, England (OS grid ref ST9586).
- 9 A former civil parish in Cheshire East, Cheshire, England, merged into Doddington and District civil parish in 2023.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea, The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lea"?
Common synonyms include: pasture, campo, countryside setting, field, grass, grass veld.
How do you use "lea" in a sentence?
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea, The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
How do you pronounce "lea"?
Pronounced /liː/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English legh, lege, lei (“clearing, open ground”), from Old English lēah (“clearing in a forest”) from Proto-West Germanic *lauh (“meadow”), from Proto-Germanic *lauhaz (“meadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *lówkos (“field, meadow”). Akin to Old Frisian lāch (“meadow”), Old Saxon lōh (“forest, grove”) (Middle Dutch loo (“forest, thicket”); Dutch -lo (“in placenames”)), Old High German lōh (“covered clearing, low bushes”), Old Norse lō (“clearing, meadow”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English le, lee, ley, of uncertain origin. Compare Old French lier (“to bind”), Old French laisse (“leash, cord”), Old French lïace, lïaz (“bundle”).
Etymology 3
From Old English lēa, the dative case of lēah (“meadow”).
Etymology 4
From Old English Lyġe.