a leak

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   a hole or crack where liquid or gas escapes, or the escape itself.

   Grammar: Countable noun: 'a leak' for one, 'leaks' for more than one.

   Patterns

   • a leak in something
   • fix a leak
   • a gas leak

   There's a leak in the roof.

   We called a plumber to fix the leak under the sink.

   A gas leak forced everyone to leave the building.

2. 2nouncountable

   a secret piece of information that becomes known to the public.

   Grammar: Countable noun; often used in news about politics or business.

   Patterns

   • a leak of information
   • a leak to the press
   • leaks about something

   The leak revealed details of the new plan.

   There were several leaks to the newspapers before the official announcement.

   The company is investigating the leak of customer data.

Word forms

Common combinations

fix a leak

The plumber came to fix a leak in the bathroom.

a gas leak

A gas leak can be very dangerous.

a leak in the roof

After the storm, we found a leak in the roof.

information leak

The information leak embarrassed the government.

plug a leak

They used tape to plug the leak temporarily.

Synonyms and how they differ

drip

A drip is a slow fall of drops, often from a leak, but not the hole itself.

spill

A spill is liquid that has come out of a container, usually by accident, not through a hole.

Word family

leak verb

To let liquid or gas escape, or to give out secret information.

leaky adjective

Having a leak; letting liquid through.

leakage noun

The act or process of leaking, often used in technical contexts.

Commonly confused: a leak or leek? a leak or lick?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a leak”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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