noun
leek
leek
noun
1
A long, mild-flavoured vegetable related to the onion, with white and green layered leaves.
"She added chopped leeks to the potato soup for extra flavour."
"Leeks need a good rinse to remove the grit trapped between their layers."
How to Use Leek
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA vegetable in the onion family with a milder, sweeter taste.
Common mistake
Not to be confused with "leak," a hole that lets liquid or gas escape — the two are pronounced identically.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
leeks plural
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She added chopped _____ to the potato soup for extra flavour.
Etymology
From Old English lēac, "leek, onion, garlic" — a Germanic word shared with Dutch and German terms for similar vegetables.