leck

1) To moisten or sprinkle with water, a form of the verb to leak according to the OED.

It has several dialect usages, especially in cloth-making, but the evidence is late: 1762 leck itt over with blak earth and mill itt well in, Wakefield. In his description of the ‘home manufacture of cloth’, Easther wrote: 1883 A large kitful of urine and swine’s dung was taken and strained through straw

it was then sprinkled on the cloth ... As they lecked one piece it was laid down, and so layer on layer, Almondbury.

dates 1762 1883

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