Lee

The downwind direction or the side away from the wind.

The lee side of a vessel is the side towards which the wind is blowing, opposite the weather or windward side. A person, object or shore lying downwind may similarly be described as being to leeward.

The word also conveys shelter: a vessel may seek the lee of land to reduce exposure to wind and sea. That shelter can create its own hazards because the wind pushes the vessel towards the nearby lee shore and local gusts or downdraughts may be unpredictable.