noun / verb
leak
LEEK/liːk/
An unauthorized or unintended escape through a boundary.
The pipe under the sink leaks water onto the floor.
Etymology
Middle Dutch leken, “to drip or leak,” is a possible source; Old Norse leka is another. Liquid escaping containment supplied the image for information becoming known despite efforts to keep it secret.
In context
due to corrosion over time a pinhole developed in one of the curling Rings Chiller tubes allowing ammonia to leak and mix with the brine
More examples
- A gas leak forces everyone to leave the building.
- Rainwater leaks into the attic through a cracked roof tile.
- Someone leaked the confidential report to a local newspaper.
- The company investigates a leak of customer records.
Forms
leak · leaks · leaked · leaking
leaky adjective — Allowing liquid or gas to escape.
leaker noun — Someone who reveals information without permission.