leek
UK: liːk | US: liːk
n. A vegetable of the onion family with long, flat, green leaves and a white bulb, used in cooking.
The word "leek" traces back to Old English lēac, which broadly referred to plants of the onion family. This term shares Proto-Germanic roots (*lauka-) with related words in other Germanic languages (e.g., German Lauch, Dutch look). The Proto-Indo-European ancestor leug- meant "to bend" or "to break," possibly referencing the plant’s flexible leaves or its method of propagation by dividing bulbs. Over time, "leek" narrowed in English to specifically denote the Allium porrum variety, while its Germanic cousins retained broader meanings.
She chopped a leek finely for the potato soup.
Leeks are a key ingredient in traditional Welsh dishes.
The garden grew leeks alongside carrots and celery.
He prefers leeks over onions for their milder flavor.
Ancient Egyptians cultivated leeks as a staple food.