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Leak vs Overflow - What's the difference?

leak | overflow |

In computing|lang=en terms the difference between leak and overflow

is that leak is (computing) the gradual loss of a system resource caused by failure to deallocate previously reserved portions while overflow is (computing) the situation where a value exceeds the available numeric range.

As nouns the difference between leak and overflow

is that leak is a crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape while overflow is the spillage resultant from overflow; excess.

As verbs the difference between leak and overflow

is that leak is to allow fluid to escape or enter something that should be sealed while overflow is to flow over the brim of (a container).

As an adjective leak

is (obsolete) leaky.

leak

English

Noun

(leak) (en noun)
  • A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape.
    • a leak in a roof
    a leak in a boat
    a leak in a gas pipe
  • The entrance or escape of a fluid through a crack, fissure, or other aperture.
    • The leak gained on the ship's pumps.
  • A divulgation, or disclosure, of information held secret until then.
    • The leaks by Chelsea Manning showed the secrets of the US military.
  • The person through whom such divulgation, or disclosure, occurred.
    • The press must have learned about the plan through a leak .
  • (computing) The gradual loss of a system resource caused by failure to deallocate previously reserved portions.
    • resource leak
    memory leak
  • An act of urination.
    • I have to take a leak .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To allow fluid to escape or enter something that should be sealed.
    • The faucet has been leaking since last month.
  • To reveal secret information.
    • ''Someone must have leaked it to our competitors that the new product will be out soon.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Leaky.
  • * 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , VI.8:
    • Yet is the bottle leake , and bag so torne, / That all which I put in fals out anon […].

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    overflow

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The spillage resultant from overflow; excess.
  • Outlet for escape of excess material.
  • (computing) The situation where a value exceeds the available numeric range.

    • Derived terms

    * overflow hole

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To flow over the brim of (a container).
    • The river overflowed the levee.
  • To cover with a liquid, literally or figuratively.
    • The flash flood overflowed most of the parkland and some homes.
  • * 1851 , Herman Melville, Moby-Dick
    • So when they were working that evening at the pumps, there was on this head no small gamesomeness slily going on among them, as they stood with their feet continually overflowed by the rippling clear water
  • To cause an overflow. (rfex)
  • To flow over the edge of a container.
    • The waters overflowed into the Ninth Ward.
  • To exceed limits or capacity.
    • The hospital ER was overflowing with flu cases.
  • # (computing, ambitransitive) To exceed the available numeric range.
  • Calculating 255+1 will overflow an eight-bit byte.
  • To be superabundant; to abound.
    • (Rogers)

    Derived terms

    * buffer overflow * underflow English heteronyms ----