leak

/lik/

/lik/

Other forms: leaked; leaks; leaking

A leak involves the release of something. It can be a behind-someone’s-back leak of sensitive information, a leak from a milk carton, or a leak in the roof that lets rain water drip in.

As a verb, leak means to allow light or fluid to escape, or to enter or escape as though through a hole. Light can leak in through the curtains, water can leak out of an almost-closed faucet, or information can leak to the press. A leak is almost always a bad thing — it indicates that something that should be contained has broken out or escaped.

Definitions of leak

1. verb

   enter or escape as through a hole or crack or fissure
   “Water leaked out of the can into the backpack”

   “Gas leaked into the basement”

   type of:

   come forth, come out, egress, emerge, go forth, issue

   come out of
2. verb

   have an opening that allows light or substances to enter or go out
   “The container leaked gasoline”

   “the roof leaks badly”

   types:

   bilge, take in water

   take in water at the bilge
3. noun

   an accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape
   “one of the tires developed a leak”

   type of:

   hole

   an opening into or through something
4. noun

   the discharge of a fluid from some container
   “he had to clean up the leak”

   synonyms: escape, leakage, outflow

   type of:

   discharge, outpouring, run

   the pouring forth of a fluid
5. noun

   a euphemism for urination
   synonyms: making water, passing water, wetting

   type of:

   micturition, urination

   the discharge of urine
6. noun

   soft watery rot in fruits and vegetables caused by fungi
   type of:

   soft rot

   mushy or slimy decay of plants caused by bacteria or fungi
7. verb

   be leaked
   “The news leaked out despite his secrecy”

   synonyms: leak out

   type of:

   break, get around, get out

   be released or become known; of news
8. verb

   tell anonymously
   “The news were leaked to the paper”

   type of:

   break, bring out, disclose, discover, divulge, expose, give away, let on, let out, reveal, unwrap

   make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
9. noun

   unauthorized (especially deliberate) disclosure of confidential information
   synonyms: news leak

   type of:

   disclosure, revealing, revelation

   the act of making something evident