leak

[ leek ]

noun

1. an unintended hole, crack, or the like, through which liquid, gas, light, etc., enters or escapes:

   a leak in the roof.

2. an act or instance of leaking.
3. any means of unintended entrance or escape.
4. Electricity. the loss of current from a conductor, usually resulting from poor insulation.
5. a disclosure of secret, especially official, information, as to the news media, by an unnamed source.

verb (used without object)

1. to let a liquid, gas, light, etc., enter or escape, as through an unintended hole or crack:

   The boat leaks.

2. to pass in or out in this manner, as liquid, gas, or light:

   gas leaking from a pipe.

3. to become known unintentionally (usually followed by out ):

   The news leaked out.

4. to disclose secret, especially official, information anonymously, as to the news media:

   The official revealed that he had leaked to the press in the hope of saving his own reputation.

verb (used with object)

1. to let (liquid, gas, light, etc.) enter or escape:

   This camera leaks light.

2. to allow to become known, as information given out covertly:

   to leak the news of the ambassador's visit.

leak

/ liːk /

noun

1. 1. a crack, hole, etc, that allows the accidental escape or entrance of fluid, light, etc
   2. such escaping or entering fluid, light, etc
2. spring a leak
   to develop a leak
3. something resembling this in effect

   a leak in the defence system

4. the loss of current from an electrical conductor because of faulty insulation, etc
5. a disclosure, often intentional, of secret information
6. the act or an instance of leaking
7. a slang word for urination See urination

verb

1. to enter or escape or allow to enter or escape through a crack, hole, etc
2. whenintr, often foll by out to disclose (secret information), often intentionally, or (of secret information) to be disclosed
3. intr a slang word for urinate

Derived Forms

• ˈleaker, noun

Other Words From

• leaker noun
• leakless adjective
• non·leaking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of leak¹

1375–1425; 1955–60 leak fordef 11; late Middle English leken < Old Norse leka to drip, leak; akin to Dutch lek, obsolete German lech leaky. See leach ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of leak¹

C15: from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse leka to drip

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. take a leak, Slang: Vulgar. to urinate.

Example Sentences

In his first term as president, he demanded a crackdown on leaks that eventually entailed secretly seizing the private communications of reporters, including some from The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN.

From New York Times

Panorama – which has seen leaked invoices, bank statements, details of rent payments and lease agreements – asked Nicholas Parton, head of forensic accounting at Opus Pear Tree, to examine the school’s finances.

From BBC

He says leaked messages reveal Paul and his team were involved in a “stealth launch” of the Zoo Tokens, allowing them to quietly buy in at a low price.

From BBC

Johnson's showy piety is even more ludicrous in light of the report's leaked details.

From Salon

Rooney had accused Vardy of leaking her private information to the press and a judge found her post claiming this to be the case was "substantially true".

From BBC

Related Words

• crack
• exposure
• flow
• leakage