leak
    n 1: an accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light
         etc.) to enter or escape; "one of the tires developed a
         leak"
    2: soft watery rot in fruits and vegetables caused by fungi
    3: a euphemism for urination; "he had to take a leak" [syn:
       leak, wetting, making water, passing water]
    4: the discharge of a fluid from some container; "they tried to
       stop the escape of gas from the damaged pipe"; "he had to
       clean up the leak" [syn: escape, leak, leakage,
       outflow]
    5: unauthorized (especially deliberate) disclosure of
       confidential information [syn: leak, news leak]
    v 1: tell anonymously; "The news were leaked to the paper"
    2: be leaked; "The news leaked out despite his secrecy" [syn:
       leak, leak out]
    3: enter or escape as through a hole or crack or fissure; "Water
       leaked out of the can into the backpack"; "Gas leaked into
       the basement"
    4: have an opening that allows light or substances to enter or
       go out; "The container leaked gasoline"; "the roof leaks
       badly"

Leak \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[aum]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 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]

Leak \Leak\, a.
   Leaky. [Obs.] --Spenser.
   [1913 Webster]

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[aum]cka, 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]

leak
 n.

    With qualifier, one of a class of resource-management bugs that occur when
    resources are not freed properly after operations on them are finished, so
    they effectively disappear (leak out). This leads to eventual exhaustion as
    new allocation requests come in. memory leak has its own entry; one might
    also refer, to, say, a window handle leak in a window system.

leak

    With a qualifier, one of a class of
   resource-management bugs that occur when resources are not
   freed properly after operations on them are finished, so they
   effectively disappear (leak out).  This leads to eventual
   exhaustion as new allocation requests come in.

   One might refer to, say, a "window handle leak" in a window
   system.

   See memory leak, fd leak.

   [Jargon File]

   (1995-04-18)