n. A flake; a thread or twist. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Little long fleaks or threads of hemp. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A light covering of reeds, over which the main covering is laid, in thatching houses. [ Prov. Eng. ] Wright. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Akin to D. lek leaky, a leak, G. leck, Icel. lekr leaky, Dan. læk leaky, a leak, Sw. läck; cf. AS. hlec full of cracks or leaky. Cf. Leak, v. ] 1. A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape; as, a leak in a roof; a leak in a boat; a leak in a gas pipe. “One leak will sink a ship.” Bunyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The entrance or escape of a fluid through a crack, fissure, or other aperture; as, the leak gained on the ship's pumps. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Elec.) A loss of electricity through imperfect insulation; also, the point at which such loss occurs. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

4. an act of urinating; -- used mostly in the phrase
take a leak, i. e. to urinate. [ vulgar ] [ PJC ]

5. The disclosure of information that is expected to be kept confidential; as, leaks by the White House staff infuriated Nixon; leaks by the Special Prosecutor were criticized as illegal. [ PJC ]

To spring a leak, to open or crack so as to let in water; to begin to let in water; as, the ship sprung a leak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Leaked p. pr. & vb. n. Leaking. ] [ Akin to D. lekken, G. lecken, lechen, Icel. leka, Dan. lække, Sw. läcka, AS. leccan to wet, moisten. See Leak, n. ] 1. To let water or other fluid in or out through a hole, crevice, etc.; as, the cask leaks; the roof leaks; the boat leaks. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To enter or escape, as a fluid, through a hole, crevice, etc.; to pass gradually into, or out of, something; -- usually with in or out. [ 1913 Webster ]

To leak out, to be divulged gradually or clandestinely; to become public; as, the facts leaked out. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Leaky. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. D. lekkage, for sense 1. ] 1. A leaking; also, the quantity that enters or issues by leaking. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Com.) An allowance of a certain rate per cent for the leaking of casks, or waste of liquors by leaking. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Elec.) A leak{ 3 }; also; the quantity of electricity thus wasted. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. The quality of being leaky. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having liquid seeping in or out through openings; leaky.
Syn. -- leaky. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. having no leaks.
Syn. -- watertight. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Compar. Leakier superl. Leakiest. ] 1. Permitting water or other fluid to leak in or out; as, a leaky roof or cask; a leaky faucet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Apt to disclose secrets; tattling; not close. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Genetics) Retaining some function; not completely inactivating the gene; as, substitution mutations are sometimes leaky; -- of mutations. [ PJC ]

n. [ Akin to D. lek leaky, a leak, G. leck, Icel. lekr leaky, Dan. læk leaky, a leak, Sw. läck; cf. AS. hlec full of cracks or leaky. Cf. Leak, v. ] 1. A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape; as, a leak in a roof; a leak in a boat; a leak in a gas pipe. “One leak will sink a ship.” Bunyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The entrance or escape of a fluid through a crack, fissure, or other aperture; as, the leak gained on the ship's pumps. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Elec.) A loss of electricity through imperfect insulation; also, the point at which such loss occurs. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

4. an act of urinating; -- used mostly in the phrase
take a leak, i. e. to urinate. [ vulgar ] [ PJC ]

5. The disclosure of information that is expected to be kept confidential; as, leaks by the White House staff infuriated Nixon; leaks by the Special Prosecutor were criticized as illegal. [ PJC ]

To spring a leak, to open or crack so as to let in water; to begin to let in water; as, the ship sprung a leak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Leaked p. pr. & vb. n. Leaking. ] [ Akin to D. lekken, G. lecken, lechen, Icel. leka, Dan. lække, Sw. läcka, AS. leccan to wet, moisten. See Leak, n. ] 1. To let water or other fluid in or out through a hole, crevice, etc.; as, the cask leaks; the roof leaks; the boat leaks. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To enter or escape, as a fluid, through a hole, crevice, etc.; to pass gradually into, or out of, something; -- usually with in or out. [ 1913 Webster ]

To leak out, to be divulged gradually or clandestinely; to become public; as, the facts leaked out. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Leaky. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. D. lekkage, for sense 1. ] 1. A leaking; also, the quantity that enters or issues by leaking. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Com.) An allowance of a certain rate per cent for the leaking of casks, or waste of liquors by leaking. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Elec.) A leak{ 3 }; also; the quantity of electricity thus wasted. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. The quality of being leaky. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having liquid seeping in or out through openings; leaky.
Syn. -- leaky. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. having no leaks.
Syn. -- watertight. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Compar. Leakier superl. Leakiest. ] 1. Permitting water or other fluid to leak in or out; as, a leaky roof or cask; a leaky faucet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Apt to disclose secrets; tattling; not close. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Genetics) Retaining some function; not completely inactivating the gene; as, substitution mutations are sometimes leaky; -- of mutations. [ PJC ]