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leeward side

leeward side

1 5.9
The side of something protected from the wind
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : lado sotavento
  • Coyotes often follow wind-packed courses on the leeward side of exposed sagebrush, avoiding careless steps to the side where the snow is soft.

Examples

  • "Good thing the hatch was on the leeward side," Dex said.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Gramma Lisa worked her way along the leeward side of the archipelago, staying in the radar shadow of the peaks.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Smiling, she walked around the leeward side.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • We have two mountain ranges, and when the hot air rises, you get rain on the leeward side.

    Blog text (25)
  • The leeward side of the structure is a huge metal door on rollers.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • As a result, the company spent a good deal of time attracting private contractors to its site, which is located at the Campbell Industrial Park on the leeward side of the island.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The leeward side, with deep, narrow valleys, is more rugged than the windward portion, though the availability of flat or moderately sloping land anywhere on the island is very limited (Table I).

    Academic text (1997)
  • The campers set up their tents on the leeward side of the mountain for protection from the strong winds.

  • At the beach, we found a calm spot on the leeward side of the island, away from the crashing waves.

  • The leeward side of the hill was warm and sunny, making it the perfect place for a picnic.

Synonyms

lee
vsleeward side
2 7.4

The area on the side of something that is protected from the wind

is the single word version used for that sheltered side
leeward
vsleeward side
  • Specialized
2 6.9

The side away from the wind that is protected from it

focuses on being sheltered rather than naming direction
lee side
vsleeward side
1 6.3

The side that is protected from the wind, for example behind a hill

is the same idea but as a fixed multiword term
lew
vsleeward side
  • Archaic
9.9

A place protected from the wind, like behind a rock or hill

is the neutral term used widely, not dialectal

Antonyms

The side that faces the wind on a ship or land

How Sheltered

leeward side
  • Specialized
1 5.9

Surface Forms

leeward side singular
leeward sides plural

Morphology

leeward + side

The meaning 'the side sheltered from the wind' is directly and compositionally derived from 'leeward' (sheltered from the wind) + 'side' (surface/part of something). This is a straightforward descriptive noun phrase following common cross-linguistic patterns, so a learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Leeward side comes from the word lee, meaning 'shelter', and ward, meaning 'direction'. Imagine wind hitting a hill and the far side is calm and protected. That's why leeward side means 'the side sheltered from the wind'.