Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LEE, n.² [Sw. lä; Dan. læ. In Sax. hleo, hleow, is a bower or shelter; Scot. le, calm, sheltered; Ice. hle, D. ly, lee, and luw, sheltered from the wind; luwen, to cease blowing; W. clyd, sheltering, warn; Sp. lua, lee. If the Welsh is the same word, it connects these words with L. claudo, cluda, to shut or stop.]

Literally, a calm or sheltered place, a place defended from the wind; hence, that part of the hemisphere toward which the wind blows, as opposed to that from which it proceeds. Under the lee, denotes properly, in the part defended from the wind. Under the lee of the land, is properly, near the shore which breaks the force of the wind. Under the lee of a ship, on the side opposite to that on which the wind blows.