Leakproof

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈliːkpɹuf/

Definitions

1. Able to resist the passage of liquids or gases across its surface
2. Not allowing any liquid or gas to escape through its material or seams
3. Designed to prevent fluids or gases from passing through or escaping

Etymology: "Leakproof" is a plain compound, built from "leak" and "proof," and its history is a matter of straightforward word-building rather than a dramatic story. The first element, "leak," is an English word of Germanic origin, once used of liquid escaping through a crack or opening, and by extension of anything that slips out unnoticed. The second element, "proof," comes from Old French "prove" and ultimately from Latin "probare," meaning to test or to demonstrate; in English it came to mean a test that something withstands, as in "waterproof" or "bulletproof." The suffix "-proof" is the key to the whole word. It began as a noun meaning a trial or test, then took on the sense of resisting or being impervious to something, so a "leakproof" container is one that has passed the test of not letting its contents out. The pattern is productive: English has generated many "-proof" compounds, from "fireproof" to "childproof," each naming a resistance to a specific threat.

Synonyms: waterproof, tight, sealed, impermeable

Antonyms: leaky, permeable, open, exposed