Lee

/liː/ adj, name, noun

adj, name, noun ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A protected cove or harbor, out of the wind.
  • Grammar: lee is listed as adj, name, noun.
  • Nearest alternatives: companion, cover, defense, downwind.
  • Useful contrasts: family name, forename, given name.
  • Usage evidence: A fishing light wavers under the lee of an island.

How to use "lee"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lee" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. 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 "lee" 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 "lee" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lee" 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 "lee" is acting as adj, 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 "companion" 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 "lee", 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. 1
    A protected cove or harbor, out of the wind.
  2. 2
    Lees; dregs. obsolete, uncountable

    "A thousand demons lurk within the lee."

  3. 3
    Obsolete form of li (“traditional Chinese unit of distance”). alt-of, obsolete

    "Here, after little less than a month's protracted journey over a distance, by the Chinese itinerary, of 950 lees, and by our own calculation 280 miles, from the canal, we quitted the magnificent Keang to cross the lake […]"

  4. 4
    the side of something that is sheltered from the wind wordnet
  5. 5
    The side of the ship away from the wind.
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    A sheltered place, especially a place protected from the wind by some object; the side sheltered from the wind (see also leeside); shelter; protection.

    "the lee of a mountain, an island, or a ship"

  2. 7
    Calm, peace.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Facing away from the flow of a fluid, usually air. not-comparable

    "lee side, lee shore, lee helm"

Adjective
  1. 1
    towards the side away from the wind wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    An English topographic surname from Middle English for someone who lived near a meadow (the Anglo-Saxon for meadow being ley or leag). countable, uncountable

    "Finally, there’s a Stan Lee fly, in honor of the late Marvel Comics visionary."

  2. 2
    A river in County Cork, Ireland.
  3. 3
    A surname from Chinese.

    "Robert Lee was scheduled to cover a University of Virginia game in the city for the broadcaster on 2 September."

  4. 4
    A surname from Korean; alternative form of Rhee.
  5. 5
    A male given name.
Show 28 more definitions
  1. 6
    A unisex given name.; A male given name derived from the surname, masculine of Leigh countable, uncountable

    "There was certainly an excess of young men in prison with non-traditional names such as Lee or Dwayne. Indeed, there were so many of the former that I once mooted that all Lees should be arrested at birth and kept in preventative detention."

  2. 7
    A surname from Chinese.; A surname from Cantonese.
  3. 8
    A male given name.; A nickname for various given names with the first syllable as Lee; Clipping of Leo, Leroy.
  4. 9
    A unisex given name.; A female given name popular in conjoined names such as Lee Ann or Mary Lee. countable, uncountable

    "“Nora?” She frowned, puzzled. “My name's Leonora,” I said. “At school I was Lee, but now I prefer Nora. I did mention it in the e-mail.” I'd always hated being Lee. It was a boy's name, a name that lent itself to teasing and rhyme."

  5. 10
    A surname from Chinese.; A surname from Hokkien.
  6. 11
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in England:; A hamlet in Berrynarbor parish, North Devon district, Devon (OS grid ref SS5546). countable, uncountable
  7. 12
    A surname from Chinese.; A surname from Teochew.
  8. 13
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in England:; A small village in Ilfracombe parish, North Devon district, Devon (OS grid ref SS4846). countable, uncountable
  9. 14
    A surname from Chinese.; A surname from Mandarin.
  10. 15
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in England:; A suburb in the borough of Lewisham, Greater London (OS grid ref TQ3974). countable, uncountable
  11. 16
    A surname from Chinese.; A surname from Hakka.
  12. 17
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in England:; A hamlet in Romsey parish, Test Valley district, Hampshire, previously in Romsey Extra parish (OS grid ref SU3617). countable, uncountable
  13. 18
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in England:; A hamlet in Hexhamshire parish, Northumberland (OS grid ref NY9459). countable, uncountable
  14. 19
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in England:; A hamlet in Ellesmere Rural parish, Shropshire (OS grid ref SJ4032). countable, uncountable
  15. 20
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in England:; A village in Buckinghamshire, commonly known as The Lee. countable, uncountable
  16. 21
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in England:; Alternative spelling of Lea, the River Lea in eastern England. alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable
  17. 22
    A placename, for example:; A small settlement on the Ross of Mull, isle of Mull, Argyll and Bute council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NM4021). countable, uncountable
  18. 23
    A placename, for example:; A river in County Cork, Ireland, that passes through the city of Cork to Cork Harbour. countable, uncountable

    "The River Lee is an important feature of the City of Cork, and on the other side of it is the Albert Quay terminus of the former Cork, Bandon & South Coast Railway."

  19. 24
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in the United States:; A former settlement in Inyo County, California. countable, uncountable
  20. 25
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Madison County, Florida. countable, uncountable
  21. 26
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in the United States:; A village in DeKalb County and Lee County, Illinois. countable, uncountable
  22. 27
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Monon Township, White County, Indiana. countable, uncountable
  23. 28
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Penobscot County, Maine. countable, uncountable
  24. 29
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. countable, uncountable
  25. 30
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Elko County, Nevada. countable, uncountable
  26. 31
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Strafford County, New Hampshire. countable, uncountable
  27. 32
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in the United States:; A town and village in Oneida County, New York. countable, uncountable
  28. 33
    A placename, for example:; A number of places in the United States:; A number of townships in the United States, listed under Lee Township. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms
companioncoverdefensedownwinddownwind sideeye

Antonyms

family nameforenamegiven namestoss

Example

"A fishing light wavers under the lee of an island."

Common questions

What does "lee" mean?

A protected cove or harbor, out of the wind.

What is a synonym for "lee"?

Common synonyms include: companion, cover, defense, downwind, downwind side, eye.

How do you use "lee" in a sentence?

A fishing light wavers under the lee of an island.

How do you pronounce "lee"?

Pronounced /liː/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English lee, from Old English hlēo, hlēow (“shelter, protection”), from Proto-West Germanic *hlaiw (whence also Proto-Slavic *xlěvъ), from Proto-Germanic *hlaiwaz (compare German Lee (“lee”), Swedish lä, Danish læ, Norwegian le, Old Norse hlé, Dutch lij), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (compare Welsh clyd (“warm, cozy”), Latin calēre (“to warm up”), Lithuanian šiltas (“warm, pleasant”), Sanskrit शरद् (śarad, “autumn”)).

Etymology 2

From Old English lēa, the dative case of lēah (“meadow”), originally to denote someone who lived near a meadow.

Etymology 3

From Irish Laoi, perhaps from an ancient personal name.

Etymology 4

From Chinese: * Mandarin: 李 (Lǐ), and other less common surnames such as 黎 (Lí). * Cantonese: 李 (lei5), and other less common surnames such as 利 (lei6). * Hokkien: 李 (Lí), Teochew: 李 (li2). * Hakka: 李 (Lí).

Etymology 5

Transcription of Korean 이(李) (I) and 리(李) (Ri).

Etymology 6

A diminutive.

More for "lee"

Synonyms

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