Leek
/liːk/noun
A plant of the onion family with a long white stalk and flat green leaves, used as a vegetable.
Did you know?Leek is one of those ancient plant names that stayed stubbornly alive through centuries of language change, surviving from Proto-Germanic into English with its meaning basically intact.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*laukaz
“Leek or garlic-like plant”
Old English
OE
lēac
“Leek; onion; garlic; any plant of the onion family”
Middle English
ME
leek
“Leek”
Modern English
English
leek
“A vegetable in the onion family with a long edible stalk”