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

In the November notice, the Indian regulator also charged the bank with providing false statements to its investigators after they inquired about the alleged leak of market-moving transaction details, the people familiar said.

From The Wall Street Journal

According to the security minister, the authorities uncovered a leaked video showing the plotters discussing their plans.

From BBC

The agency could not confirm if the data was leaked, reports say.

From BBC

Brazilian state oil company Petrobras said Tuesday that a "fluid leak" had forced it to halt drilling off the coast of the Amazon region.

From Barron's

You can't notify Congress of an operation like this because "it will leak", he added.

From BBC

Related Words

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