Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LEAK, n. [D. lek, a leak, and leaky; lekken, to leak, to drop, to sleek or make smooth; lekker, dainty, delicate, nice, delicious; G. leck, a leak, and leaky; lecken, to leak, to drop out, to jump, to lick; lecker, dainty, delicious, lickerish; Sw. laka, to distill or drop, and läka, to leak; Dan. lek, leaky; lekke, a leak; lekkefad, a dripping-pan; lekker to leak, to drop; lekker, dainty, delicate, nice, lickerish; Sax. hlece, leaky. If the noun is the primary word, is may be the Gr. λακις, a fissure or crevice, from ληκεω, Dor. λακεω, to crack, to sound, or to burst with sound, coinciding with L. lacero and loquor, and perhaps Eng. clack. It seems that lickerish is from the root of leak, and signifies properly, watery.]

1. A crack, crevice, fissure or hole in a vessel that admits water, or permits a fluid to escape.
2. The oozing or passing of water or other fluid or liquid through a crack, fissure or aperture in a vessel, either into it, as into a ship, or out of it, as out of a cask. To spring a leak, is to open or crack so as to let in water; to begin to let in water.