Naut. Forms: 5 lek, leche, lyche, 7 leatch, 7, 9 leach, 7– leech. [Of obscure origin; app. related in some way to ON. līk (a nautical term of obscure meaning; the Sw. lik, Da. lig mean ‘bolt-rope’), Du. lijk, G. liek, leech-line.] The perpendicular or sloping side of a sail. Also with qualifications, as after-leech, mast-leech, roach-leech, weather-leech.
1485. [see b].
1496. Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl. (1877), I. 300. Item, to Dauid Gourlay, for making of a bonat and the lek to it.
1611. Cotgr., Penne d’un voile,… the Leech of a sayle.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., vii. 32. The Leech of a saile is the outward side or skirt of the saile from the earing to the clew, the middle betwixt which wee account the Leech.
1762. Falconer, Shipwr., II. 62. The leeches taught, the hallyards are made fast.
1835. Marryat, Jac. Faithf., xvii. They were handing in the leech of the sail, when snap went one bunt-line.
1881. Clark Russell, Sailor’s Sweetheart, I. v. 123. The leech of the top-gallant sail.
b. attrib. in † leech-hook, a hook for attaching the leech-line to the sail; leech-line, a rope attached to the leech, serving to truss the sail close up to the yard; leech-rope (see quot. 1769).
1485. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 38. Shanke hokes…, Pakke hokes…, *Leche hokes. Ibid. (1495), 158. Lyche hokes of Yron,… loff hokes of yron.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Sea-men, 30. Cleare your *leach-lines. Ibid. (1627), Seaman’s Gram., v. 23. Leech lines are small ropes made fast to the Leech of the top-sailes.
1860. Merc. Marine Mag., VII. 113. A leach-line is bent on each yard-arm.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), *Leech-rope, a name given to that part of the bolt-rope, to which the border, or skirt of a sail is sewed.
1800. Asiat. Ann. Reg., Chron., 23/2. The leech ropes of the fore-sail, main-sail, fore-top sail, and mizen-topsail.
1885. Lady Brassey, The Trades, 465. Repaired leech rope of mizen and set the sail.
