Revised as of
3 Dec 2022
With planting season approaching, I’m thinking leeks . . . yum . . .
Unfortunately, I also discovered leaks in my outdoor faucet when I started cleaning up in the garden . . . not yum . . .
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Leak | Leek |
|---|---|
Rain Leak Outdoors is under the CC0 license, via MaxPixel, <https://www.maxpixel.net/Rain-Leak-Outdoors-3290142>. — Phew, at least that leak is outdoors! |
Delicious Leeks is under the CC0 license, via MaxPixel, <https://www.maxpixel.net/Spring-Onions-Delicious-Vegetables-Food-Leek-1303271>. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive
Plural for the noun: leaks Third person present verb: leaks |
Noun
Plural: leeks |
| Noun: A hole in a container or covering through which contents, especially liquid or gas, may accidentally pass
Any means of unintended entrance or escape [Electricity] The loss of current from a conductor, usually resulting from poor insulation An intentional disclosure of secret information Verb, intransitive:
[Of secret information] Become known accidentally, on purpose, anonymously Verb, transitive: Intentionally disclose secret information |
A plant related to the onion, with flat overlapping leaves forming an elongated cylindrical bulb which together with the leaf bases is eaten as a vegetable |
| Examples: | |
| Noun: I checked all of the pipes for leaks. Molly, my neighbor’s dog, alerted me to a gas leak. Saved my life. Don’t tighten it up too tight or a leak may occur. If your electrical bill is higher than it should be, it could be a leak. Pinpoint major leaks by flipping breakers. One of the employees was responsible for the leak. Verb, intransitive: George, that gutter is leaking again. Water kept leaking in. The news leaked out. Verb, transitive: Someone leaked a government document. Who had a motive to leak the story? |
The leek is the Welsh national emblem.
The scientific name for the leek is Allium porrum. You can use any vegetables — add leeks, carrots, potatoes or cauliflower if you like. Dishes in olive oil included stuffed vine leaves, cabbage and artichokes, leeks, and spinach boranaki. Add the onions, celery, leeks, and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: leaked, leakier, leakiest, leaking, leakproof, leaky Noun: leakage, leaker, leakiness |
|
| History of the Word: | |
| Late Middle English and probably of Low German or Dutch origin and related to lack. | Old English lēac is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch look, the Old Norse laukr, and the German Lauch. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Leak versus Leek
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: leak
Oxford Dictionaries: leek
Pinterest Photo Credits:
The background was removed and the Leeks by Nick Youngson, which is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Picserver.org and courtesy of Alpha Stock Images was rotated. Old Water Pump by Jan Steiner is under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay. This image was reduced in size and the left edge extended.
