Meaning of “leak” in the English Dictionary

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"leak" in English

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leakverb [ I or T ]

uk ​ /liːk/ us ​ /liːk/

leak verb [ I or T ] (LIQUID/GAS)

B2 (of a liquid or gas) to escape from a hole or crack in a pipe or container; (of a container) to allow liquid or gas to escape:

Water was leaking from the pipe.
Oil leaked out of the car.
The car leaked oil all over the drive.
The tin was leaking.

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Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Idiom(s)

leak like a sieve

leaknoun [ C ]

uk ​ /liːk/ us ​ /liːk/

leak noun [ C ] (LIQUID/GAS)

B2 a hole or crack through which a liquid or gas can flow out of a container, or the liquid or gas that comes out:

There's water on the floor - we must have a leak.
If you suspect a gas leak, phone the emergency number.

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Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Idiom(s)

take a leak/have a leak

(Definition of “leak” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"leak" in American English

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leakverb [ I/T ]

us ​ /lik/

› (of a liquid or gas) to escape from a hole or crack in a pipe or container, or (of a container) to allow liquid or gas to escape:

[ I ] He heard the sound of dripping and saw water leaking from a pipe overhead.
[ T ] The ship ran aground off the coast and began to leak oil.

› To leak is also to give out information privately, esp. when people in authority do not want it to be known:

[ T ] Someone had leaked the news of the ambassador’s resignation to the press.
leaky
adjective [ -er/-est only ] us ​ /ˈli·ki/

›

There’s a leaky radiator in the bedroom.

leaknoun [ C ]

us ​ /lik/

› A leak is also the act of giving out information privately, esp. when people in authority do not want it to be known:

The Justice Department was investigating security leaks.

(Definition of “leak” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

"leak" in Business English

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leakverb

uk ​ /liːk/ us ​

› [ I or T ] if a liquid or gas leaks, or is allowed to leak, from a pipe or container, it escapes through an opening:

Textile chemicals leaking from a container started a fire in a cargo compartment.
The ship leaked an estimated 70,000 gallons of fuel.

› [ T ] to allow secret information to become generally known:

Staff members were accused of leaking information about the deal to the newspapers.

leaknoun [ C ]

uk ​ /liːk/ us ​

› an opening through which liquid or gas can escape from a pipe or container, or the liquid or gas that escapes:

fuel/gas/oil leaks

› the act of allowing secret information to become publicly known:

The leak of the top-secret discussions will be a huge embarrassment to the company.

(Definition of “leak” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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