leak
To allow fluid or gas to pass through an opening that should be sealedTo allow fluid or gas to pass through an opening that should be sealed.
» There's a leak in the roof.
Das Dach ist undicht.
Крыша протекает.
Дах протікає.
Meaning
8 senses(transitive)To allow fluid or gas to pass through an opening that should be sealed.
The wells are believed to have been leaking oil for decades, long after the operating company ceased to exist.
lecken, tropfen
течьtečʹ, протека́тьprotekátʹ
(intransitive)(of a fluid or gas) To pass through an opening that should be sealed.
The faucet has been leaking since last month.
No one realized that propane gas was leaking from a rusty tank in the concession area, slowly filling the unventilated room.
(ambitransitive)To disclose secret information surreptitiously or anonymously.
Someone must have leaked it to our competitors that the new product will be out soon.
durchsickern, durchstechen, leaken
tell anonymously
(broadly, figuratively, intransitive)To pass through when it would normally or preferably be blocked.
(broadly, figuratively, transitive)To allow anything through that would normally or preferably be blocked.
To emit bodily fluids:
(euphemistic, slang, sometimes)To urinate.
I had to leak in the woods since there were no toilets around.
(US, slang)To bleed.
He shanked him, now he's leaking.
(slang, vulgar)To ejaculate.
Examples
298 sentencesThere's a leak in the roof.
Дах протікає. — bicolino34
ruКрыша протекает. — ae5s
deDas Dach ist undicht. — Esperantostern
Every time it rains, the roof leaks.
Кожен раз, коли йде дощ, дах протікає. — deniko
ruКаждый раз в дождь крыша течёт. — Biga
deImmer wenn es regnet, leckt das Dach. — Haehnchenpaella
Someone leaked the secret to the enemy.
Хтось видав секрет ворогові. — rmdas
ruКто-то выдал секрет врагу. — Biga
The tire leaks air.
Колесо спускає. — deniko
ruКолесо спускает. — Biga
deDer Reifen verliert Luft. — bonny37
The faucet is leaking.
Кран тече. — deniko
ruКран протекает. — Arkadeko
deDer Wasserhahn tropft. — MUIRIEL
Translations
8 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 2
Origin
From Middle English leken (“to let water in or out”), from Old English *lecan (“to leak”),From Middle English leken (“to let water in or out”), from Old English *lecan (“to leak”), Middle Dutch leken (“to leak, drip”) or Old Norse leka (“to leak, drip”); all from Proto-Germanic *lekaną (“to leak, drain”), from Proto-Indo-European *leg- (“to leak”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
leaks, leaking, leaked, leakedSynonyms
19 synonymsWord family
9 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
Collocations
6 patterns- fix the leak
- found the leak
- has a leak
- roof leaks
- there's a leak
- leak in the