lek

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈlek 

: an assembly area where animals (such as the prairie chicken) carry on display and courtship behavior

also : an aggregation of animals assembled on a lek for courtship

lek

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈlek 

plural lekë ˈle-kə  or leks also leku ˈle-kü 

the basic monetary unit of Albania see Money Table

Examples of lek in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Sage Grouse: Breeding Behaviors Sage grouse are best known for their breeding behavior on leks, which can be any area of short grass with high visibility, such as a grass-stubble flat, a dry lakebed, or a recent burn. —Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 11 Jan. 2024

To show off for females, the male birds congregate at an area known as a lek. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2023

Two Sage-Grouse fight for dominance while strutting on a lek in the Parker Mountain area, near Loa, Utah, Friday, April 22, 2016. —The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Apr. 2021

In these species, what often evolves is a courtship display arena, or what ornithologists call a lek, where males aggregate to do their dances and females choose among the available males. —Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2013

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Swedish, short for lekställe mating ground, from lek mating, sport + ställe place

Noun (2)

Albanian

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1871, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1927, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lek

noun

ˈlek

: an area where animals (as the prairie chicken) assemble and carry on display and courtship behavior

also : a group of animals assembled in such an area

Geographical Definition

Lek

geographical name

ˈlek 

river 40 miles (64 kilometers) long in the Netherlands flowing west into the Atlantic

Note: The Lek is the northern branch of the lower Rhine River.