Leek

Perhaps of pre-Anglo-Saxon (non-Old English) origin and instead from Celtic; compare Welsh llech and Irish leac (“stone”), both from Proto-Celtic *ɸlikkā.[1] Recorded as Lec in 1086 (DB).

• IPA^(key): /liːk/

Leek

1. A town and civil parish with a town council in Staffordshire Moorlands district, Staffordshire, England (OS grid ref SJ9856).

• Kele, elke, keel, lekë

First attested as dye leeck in 1495. Derived from Old Frisian leke (“natural watercourse”). Originally a hydronym.

• IPA^(key): /leːk/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Leek
• Rhymes: -eːk
• Homophone: leek

Leek n

1. A village and former municipality of Westerkwartier, Groningen, Netherlands.

   Synonym: Koetsenburg (Carnival nickname)

• Leekster
• Leekstermeer

• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “leek4”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

Ultimately cognate to German Laich.

Leek m

1. (Low Prussian) spawn (eggs laid in the water by aquatic organisms)