English Explanatory Dictionary

leech

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A typically aquatic blood-sucking annelid of the subclass Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
  2. A person who derives advantage from others in a parasitic fashion.
  3. A glass tube designed for drawing blood from damaged tissue by means of a vacuum.
verb
  1. To apply a leech medicinally, so that it sucks blood from the patient.
  2. To drain (resources) without giving back.
noun
  1. A physician.
  2. A healer.
verb
  1. To treat, cure or heal.
noun
  1. The vertical edge of a square sail.
  2. The aft edge of a triangular sail.
name
  1. A surname originating as an occupation, derived from the profession leech, a former word for a physician.

Pronunciation

/ˈliːt͡ʃ/ [ˈlɪi̯t͡ʃ] en-us-leech.ogg

Word forms

leech leeches leeching leeched Leach

Etymology

From Middle English leche (“blood-sucking worm”), from Old English lǣċe (“blood-sucking worm”), akin to Middle Dutch lāke ("blood-sucking worm"; > modern Dutch laak).

Synonyms

sponger bloodsucker vampire parasite mooch suck down barber doctor physician healer treat cure heal

Related words

foot luff

Derived words

Amazon giant leech green leech land-leech leechlike leechy turtle leech water-leech horse-leech horse leech leecher cowleech leechbook leechcraft leechdom leechery leech-finger leech line leechline
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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