leaks

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of leak.

   Inspectors traced two separate leaks along the underground gas line.

   The reporter published a series of leaks that embarrassed the agency.

   Note

   The plural covers every sense of the noun, so context decides what is being counted: cracks in a pipe, escapes of gas, disclosures of secret information, or even the people who do the disclosing. Electricians count leaks through faulty insulation, and in computing a program's leaks are resources it reserves and never releases. The same spelling is also the present-tense verb (the roof leaks). A number or determiner in front, as in two leaks or the leaks, marks the noun.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of leak.

   The roof leaks every time a storm passes over the valley.

   Whenever someone leaks the budget early, the markets react before the announcement.

   Note

   Either the container or the thing escaping from it can be the subject: the roof leaks, and water leaks through the roof. With an object, the verb usually turns to secrets, as when an official leaks a memo. Figuratively, anything that slips past a barrier leaks too. Take some care in casual speech, where it can also serve as a slangy euphemism for urinating.

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