leech

leech ¹  (lch)

n.

1. Any of various chiefly aquatic bloodsucking or carnivorous annelid worms of the class Hirudinea, of which one species (Hirudo medicinalis) was formerly used by physicians to bleed patients and is now sometimes used as a temporary aid to circulation during surgical reattachment of a body part.

2. One that preys on or clings to another; a parasite.

3. Archaic A physician.

v. leeched, leech·ing, leech·es

v.tr.

1. To bleed with leeches.

2. To drain the essence or exhaust the resources of.

v.intr.

To attach oneself to another in the manner of a leech.

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[Middle English leche, physician, leech, from Old English lce; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

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leech

Noun

1. a worm which has a sucker at each end of the body and feeds on the blood or tissues of other animals

2. a person who lives off another person; parasite [Old English lǣce]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	leech - carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic or terrestrial worms typically having a sucker at each end bloodsucker, hirudinean annelid, annelid worm, segmented worm - worms with cylindrical bodies segmented both internally and externally class Hirudinea, Hirudinea - hermaphroditic aquatic or terrestrial or parasitic annelids Hirudo medicinalis, medicinal leech - large European freshwater leech formerly used for bloodletting horseleech - any of several large freshwater leeches
	2.	leech - a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage parasite, sponger, sponge follower - a person who accepts the leadership of another
Verb	1.	leech - draw blood; "In the old days, doctors routinely bled patients as part of the treatment" phlebotomise, phlebotomize, bleed practice of medicine, medicine - the learned profession that is mastered by graduate training in a medical school and that is devoted to preventing or alleviating or curing diseases and injuries; "he studied medicine at Harvard" care for, treat - provide treatment for; "The doctor treated my broken leg"; "The nurses cared for the bomb victims"; "The patient must be treated right away or she will die"; "Treat the infection with antibiotics"

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leech

noun parasite, hanger-on, sycophant, freeloader (slang) sponger (informal) ligger (slang) bloodsucker (informal) quandong Austral. (slang)

Translations

leech [liːtʃ] n → sanguijuela

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leech [liːtʃ] n → sangsue f

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leech [liːtʃ] n → Blutegel m (fig); Blutsauger m

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leech [liːtʃ] n → sanguisuga