leaky

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”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈliːki/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːki
• Homophone: leeky

leaky (comparative leakier, superlative leakiest)

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.

   The ceiling was so leaky that someone had to fix it.

   • 1983, Michael Stephenson, Roger Hearn, The Nuclear Case Book:

     Nuclear reactors in Russian submarines are said to be so leaky that crews are often paid "sterility money".

• Eakly, Kaley, Kealy, Keyla, Lakey, kayle, leyak