滴漏 (dī lòu) is a compound noun with two meanings, both rooted in the idea of water dripping through an opening. The first character 滴 means 'drop'—referring to a single drop of liquid—and the second character 漏 means 'leak' or 'to seep through', but historically also denotes a timekeeping device that measures time by the regulated flow of water. Together, they originally described ancient Chinese water clocks (clepsydrae), where water dripped at a steady rate from one container to another, marking the passage of time.

In modern usage, 滴漏 most commonly means 'leakage', especially slow, continuous leakage of liquids like water or oil—often implying inefficiency or loss. While the historical timekeeping sense is now rare and mostly found in historical or literary contexts, it remains important for understanding classical texts and cultural references to ancient science. The word carries a neutral-to-formal register and appears more frequently in written than spoken language.