leek
noun/liːk/
Etymology From Middle English leke, leek, lek, from Old English lēac (“a garden herb, leek, onion, garlic”), from Proto-West Germanic *lauk, from Proto-Germanic *lauką, *laukaz (“leek, onion”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewg- (“to bend”). Cognate with Dutch look (“garlic, leek”), German Low German Look (“leek”), German Lauch (“leek, allium”), Danish løg (“onion”), Norwegian Bokmål løk (“onion”), Norwegian Nynorsk lauk (“onion”), Swedish lök (“onion”), Icelandic laukur (“onion, leek, garlic”). See garlic.
1
A vegetable of variety Allium ampeloprasum, having edible leaves and an onion-like bulb but with a milder flavour than the onion.
2
Any of several species of Allium, broadly resembling the domesticated plant in appearance in the wild.
- Synonyms
- broadleaf wild leek, the Cambrian symbol, garden leek, scallion
- Derived terms
- Asian leek, broadleaf wild leek, eat the leek, garden leek, green leek, green leek parrot, houseleek, leek-green, leekish, leeklike, leek moth, leek orchid, leek rust, leeky, lily leek, meadow leek, narrowleaf wild leek, Persian leek, rose leek, sand leek, swallow the leek, threecorner leek, wild leek