noun
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the act or process of seeping
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liquid or moisture that has seeped
Etymology
Origin of seepage
Explanation
When liquid or gas slowly leaks through tiny holes or gaps in a container or barrier, it's called seepage. The seepage of rain water through the foundation of your house can result in a very damp basement. Seepage is the process of something seeping, or leaking extremely slowly. You usually can't see seepage happening, the way you'd observe a leak from a faucet. Water seepage from an upstairs bathroom can gradually stain the ceiling of the room below, and the seepage of gas from your stove can be very dangerous to breathe. We can trace this word back to a root meaning "to pour out, drip, or trickle."
Vocabulary lists containing seepage
The Water Cycle - Introductory
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Earth Science - Middle School
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The Water Cycle - Middle School and High School
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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.
The science shows the pollution problem in Lough Neagh comes largely from agriculture, with some from wastewater processing, septic tank seepage and industrial pollution around the shores.
From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025
March 11, 2024An earlier version of this article stated that a Coast Guard official said the oil spill was caused by natural seepage from the ocean floor off Huntington Beach.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2024
The samples are more characteristic of “freshly produced” oil typical of natural seepage, according to officials.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2024
“It could be natural seepage, it could have been a discharge. We’re not sure.”
From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2024
But as Irwin drove me through the barren, snow-banked streets I felt the warm seepage let itself through the dam of the towel and my skirt and onto the car seat.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
