leaky

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English

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Etymology

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Likely a normalisation ( +‎ -y) of earlier leak, leake, leke (leaky, adj), from Middle English leke (leaky), from Old English hlec, *lec (having cracks or rents; leaky), from Proto-Germanic *lekaz (leaking; leaky). By surface analysis, leak +‎ -y. Cognate with Scots lek, leck (leaky), Saterland Frisian läk (leaky), Dutch lek (leaky), German Low German leck (leaky), German leck (leaky), Swedish läck (leaky), Icelandic lekur (leaky).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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leaky (comparative leakier, superlative leakiest)

  1. Having leaks; not fully sealed.
    The leaky bucket dripped only one drop at a time, but by the time I got back to the house it was half empty.
    The ceiling was so leaky that someone had to fix it.
    • 1983, Michael Stephenson, Roger Hearn, The Nuclear Case Book:
      Nuclear reactors in Russian submarines are said to be so leaky that crews are often paid "sterility money".

Derived terms

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Translations

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Anagrams

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