Plural of leek; a vegetable related to onions and garlic, with a white base and green leaves, used in cooking.
From Old English 'leac,' which comes from Proto-Germanic roots. The word is closely related to 'leak,' though the vegetable and the hole-in-a-roof leak have different etymologies that converged in English.
Leeks are the national vegetable of Wales and appear on the Welsh flag and coat of arms—they're so culturally important that Welsh people traditionally wear them on St. David's Day! The vegetable is mentioned in the Bible and has been cultivated for thousands of years, making it one of humanity's oldest domesticated plants.
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