leek
Americannoun
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leeks
plural
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a cultivated plant, Allium ampeloprasum, of the amaryllis family, related to the onion, with a long cylindrical bundle of straplike leaves that are used in cooking, especially the paler portion near the base.
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any of various onion-related plants, especially the wild leek, Allium ampeloprasum, from which the culinary leek was cultivated.
noun
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Also called: scallion. an alliaceous plant, Allium porrum, with a slender white bulb, cylindrical stem, and broad flat overlapping leaves: used in cooking
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any of several related species, such as A. ampeloprasum (wild leek)
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a leek, or a representation of one, as a national emblem of Wales
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of leek
First recorded before 1000; from Middle English lek, leck, leike; Old English lēac, lēc, lēc; cognate with German Lauch, Dutch look, Old Norse laukr
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Among England's Tudor rose, Scotland's thistle, the Welsh leek and the Irish shamrock are the Canadian maple leaf and India's lotus flower.
From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2025
Just add hot water to unleash flavors of mushroom, leek, seafood and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
After embarking on a leek soup detox and discovering her “willpower,” Guiliano loses the weight, keeping it off even after her return to the States.
From Salon ● Mar. 3, 2025
And there are numerous vessels: vases, bowls, plates and a few palettes, including two that are narrow, delicate and slightly curved and seem cut from a single leaf of leek.
From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2024
“It’s leek and potato stew with a tarragon garnish and melted Gruyere cheese,” he admitted.
From "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman
The first step is to sauté leeks and garlic in olive oil, butter and, crucially, a bit of white miso.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
Luckily, farmers markets this time of year are full of spring produce that are right at home in a primavera: asparagus, snap peas, chives, leeks and fresh herbs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
He grows cauliflowers, broccoli, leeks and brussel sprouts around Comber in County Down.
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026
The 51-year-old laughed as he shared that they eat leeks and lamb - and that they have a leek-eating competition on 1 March.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025
She sliced eggplants for borani, and cooked leeks and ground beef for aushak.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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