lea1
/liː
/noun literary
An open area of grassy or arable land: the lowing herd winds slowly o’er the lea...
- Some distance away, atop a grassy knoll upon the lea, they had laid her to rest in an unmarked grave, as alone in death as she had been in life.
- Far from the bucolic paradise of popular myth, with lowing herds winding slowly o'er the lea, modern farms have as much romance as a widget factory.
- He is also aware of the need to sow grass seed to ensure a choice of area for lea ploughing next year.
Origin
Old English lēa(h), of Germanic origin; related to Old High German loh 'grove', from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit lokás 'open space', Latin lucus 'grove', and perhaps also light1.
LEA2
/ɛliːˈeɪ/noun
Short for local education authority.