leak

American  

[leek] / lik /

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.

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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 byout ).

   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.

idioms

1. take a leak,  to urinate.

leak British  

/ 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. 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

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verb

1. to enter or escape or allow to enter or escape through a crack, hole, etc

2. to disclose (secret information), often intentionally, or (of secret information) to be disclosed

3. (intr) a slang word for urinate

Other Word Forms

• leaker noun
• leakless adjective
• nonleaking adjective

Etymology

Origin of leak

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

Example Sentences

Coupang slumps following a data leak that exposed approximately 34 million accounts at the South Korean retailer.

From Barron's

The online retailer’s stock had previously gained 28% this year through Friday’s close before the data leak announcement.

From Barron's

The breach marks the latest in a series of data leaks at major firms in the country, including its telecommunications giant, SK Telecom.

From BBC

That means landlords will have to stop repairing leaks—or default on loans, which are backed by the city government.

From The Wall Street Journal

The talks in Florida follow weeks of diplomacy and negotiations after a U.S. proposal for a peace plan leaked online.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• discharge
• disclose
• divulge
• escape
• ooze
• pass on
• reveal
• spill
• trickle