leak

leak
   1. an act of urination
   Of obvious derivation. Leaks maybe had, done, gone for, needed, sprung, taken, etc. by either sex in mildly vulgar use:
    ... shuffling through the house in carpet slippers to take a leak. (Theroux, 1978)
   To leak is occasionally used meaning to urinate:
    ... we were allowed out for twenty minutes drinking and leaking. (Lyall, 1972)
   2. to release (information) furtively
   Done by a politician who wishes to sound out public opinion about future policy or release information which cannot be attributed to him; or by an employee who improperly passes on confidential information for private gain or political advantage; or by a traitor:
    Until fingered by his ex-wife in 1984, former Navy Officer John Walker leaked secrets to the Soviets for nearly 20 years. {Life, Autumn 1989)
   A leak is an instance of this phenomenon, and an administration or organization which is a constant source of such information is called leaky:
    The Master in College... acting on a hint from a leaky chaplain, made enquiries and managed to get hold of Wolfenden's letter. (Faulks, 1996)

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

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Synonyms:
(letting a liquid in or out), , , , , , , / , , , (water or other liquid), ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Leak — (l[=e]k), n. [Akin to D. lek leaky, a leak, G. leck, Icel. lekr leaky, Dan. l[ae]k leaky, a leak, Sw. l[ a]ck; 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • LEAK — is the brand name for high fidelity audio equipment made by H. J. Leak Co. Ltd, of London, England. The company was founded in 1934 by Harold Joseph Leak and was sold to the Rank Organisation in January 1969. During the 1950s and 60s, the company …   Wikipedia

  • leak — leak·age; leak·er; leak·i·ness; leak·less; leak·man; leak; …   English syllables

  • leak|y — «LEE kee», adjective, leak|i|er, leak|i|est. having a leak or leaks; full of leaks; leaking: »The ship was leaky and very much disabled (Daniel Defoe). – …   Useful english dictionary

  • Leak — Leak, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Leaked} (l[=e]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Leaking}.] [Akin to D. lekken, G. lecken, lechen, Icel. leka, Dan. l[ae]kke, Sw. l[ a]cka, AS. leccan to wet, moisten. See {Leak}, n.] 1. To let water or other fluid in or out through …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • leak — Ⅰ. leak UK US /liːk/ verb ► [I or T] if a liquid or gas leaks, or is allowed to leak, from a pipe or container, it escapes through an opening: »Textile chemicals leaking from a container started a fire in a cargo compartment. »The ship leaked an… …   Financial and business terms

  • leak — ► VERB 1) accidentally allow contents to escape or enter through a hole or crack. 2) (of liquid, gas, etc.) escape or enter accidentally through a hole or crack. 3) intentionally disclose (secret information). 4) (of secret information) become… …   English terms dictionary

  • leak — [lēk] vi. [ME leken < ON leka, to drip < IE base * leg , to drip, trickle, LACK, OIr legaim, (I) dissolve, Welsh llaith, damp] 1. to let a fluid substance out or in accidentally [the boats leaks] 2. to enter, or escape accidentally from, an …   English World dictionary

  • Leak — Leak, a. Leaky. [Obs.] Spenser. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • leak — verb. The transitive meaning ‘to disclose (secret information) intentionally’ is, apart from an isolated example of 1859, a 20c use, although the practice is doubtless a lot older. It is related to, if not a development of, the phrasal verb to… …   Modern English usage

  • leak — [n] opening; seepage through opening aperture, chink, crack, crevice, decrease, destruction, detriment, drip, drop, escape, expenditure, exposure, fissure, flow, hole, leakage, leaking, loss, outgoing, percolation, pit, puncture, short circuit,… …   New thesaurus

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