Leaky
adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 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."
- 2 Tending to leak secrets or information.
"The spooks' argument against this is that the secret service would become leaky and demoralised […]"
- 1 prone to communicate confidential information wordnet
- 2 used informally; unable to retain urine wordnet
- 3 permitting the unwanted passage of fluids or gases wordnet
Example
More examples"Methinks I am like a man, who having struck on many shoals, and having narrowly escap'd shipwreck in passing a small frith, has yet the temerity to put out to sea in the same leaky weather-beaten vessel, and even carries his ambition so far as to think of compassing the globe under these disadvantageous circumstances."
Etymology
Likely a normalisation ( + -y) of earlier leak, leake, leke (“leaky”, adjective), 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”).