Leak
/liːk/noun
To let a liquid, gas, or information escape unintentionally.
Did you know?The word is ancient enough to have relatives in old Germanic languages, and its modern “information leak” sense turns a physical seep into a metaphor for secrets breaking containment.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*leukanan
“to leak, drip, or trickle”
Old English
OE
lēcan
“to wet, moisten, or cause to leak”
Middle English
ME
leken
“to leak or let water in”
16th Century
English
leak
“to let out liquid or moisture unintentionally”
19th Century
English
leak
“to disclose information secretly or unintentionally”
Modern English
English
leak
“to escape through a crack or be revealed without authorization”