lek

Meanings

Noun

• An aggregation of male animals for the purposes of courtship and display.
• The currency unit of Albania, divided into 100 qindarka.

Verb

• To take part in the courtship and display behaviour of a lek.
• To play.

Origin

• From Germanic roots meaning "play". In the biology sense, it comes specifically from Swedish lek, by means of Swedish leka. The verb is first attested in English in 1871 and the noun at least as early as 1867.
• From Albanian lek, named after Alexander the Great, whose name is often shortened to Leka in Albanian.