Lees

/liːz/

Meaning & Definition

noun

The sediment or dregs that settle at the bottom of a liquid, especially in a barrel of wine or beer.

After the fermentation process, the lees contributed to the wine's unique flavor.

The residual particles in a liquid, which can provide characteristics to drinks like wine or cider.

Aged in contact with the lees, the champagne developed a rich, toasty aroma.

A term used in the context of winemaking and brewing to refer to the dead yeast cells and other solids that remain after fermentation.

The winemaker decided to leave the wine on the lees for an additional six months to enhance its complexity.

In a more general sense, the remains or waste left after a process.

After the distillation, the lees were discarded, as they had no further use.

Old English 'lēs', meaning 'residue' or 'sediment'.

dead leaves:

Refers to the leftover material that accumulates after processes like winemaking, metaphorically used to indicate useless or discarded items.

lees of the field:

Used metaphorically for things that are leftover or less desirable.

Things that are considered worthless or of little value.

He said his old car is just a bunch of lees now.

Leftover parts in any context.

The party was great, but by the end, we were left with just a lot of lees.