leech, bloodsucker, hirudinean
(noun) carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic or terrestrial worms typically having a sucker at each end
leech, parasite, sponge, sponger
(noun) a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage
bleed, leech, phlebotomize, phlebotomise
(verb) draw blood; “In the old days, doctors routinely bled patients as part of the treatment”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
leech (plural leeches)
An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
(figuratively) A person who derives profit from others in a parasitic fashion.
(medicine, dated) A glass tube designed for drawing blood from damaged tissue by means of a vacuum.
• (person who lives as a parasite): parasite, sponger, bloodsucker, vampire; See also scrounger
leech (third-person singular simple present leeches, present participle leeching, simple past and past participle leeched)
(transitive) To apply a leech medicinally, so that it sucks blood from the patient.
(transitive) To drain (resources) without giving back.
Do not confuse this verb with the verb to leach.
• (to drain resources): drain
leech (plural leeches)
(archaic) A physician.
(paganism, Heathenry) A healer.
• (physician): barber, doctor, physician
• (healer in Heathenry): healer
leech (third-person singular simple present leeches, present participle leeching, simple past and past participle leeched)
(archaic, rare) To treat, cure or heal.
• (make better): treat, cure, heal
leech (plural leeches)
(nautical) The vertical edge of a square sail.
(nautical) The aft edge of a triangular sail.
• chele, leche
Leech (plural Leeches)
A surname derived from the profession leech, a former word for a physician.
• According to the 2010 United States Census, Leech is the 6640th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 5099 individuals. Leech is most common among White (91.8%) individuals.
• chele, leche
Source: Wiktionary
Leech, n.
Definition: See 2d Leach.
Leech, v. t.
Definition: See Leach, v. t.
Leech, n. Etym: [Cf. LG. leik, Icel. lik, Sw. lik boltrope, stliken the leeches.] (Naut.)
Definition: The border or edge at the side of a sail. [Written also leach.] Leech line, a line attached to the leech ropes of sails, passing up through blocks on the yards, to haul the leeches by. Totten.
– Leech rope, that part of the boltrope to which the side of a sail is sewed.
Leech, n. Etym: [OE. leche, læche, physician, AS. l; akin to Fries. l, OHG. lahhi, Icel. læknari, Sw. läkare, Dan. læge, Goth. l, AS. lacnian to heal, Sw. läka, Dan.læge, Icel. lækna, Goth. l.]
1. physician or surgeon; a professor of the art of healing. [Written also leach.] [Archaic] Spenser. Leech, heal thyself. Wyclif (Luke iv. 23).
2. (Zoöl.)
Definition: Any one of numerous genera and species of annulose worms, belonging to the order Hirudinea, or Bdelloidea, esp. those species used in medicine, as Hirudo medicinalis of Europe, and allied species.
Note: In the mouth of bloodsucking leeches are three convergent, serrated jaws, moved by strong muscles. By the motion of these jaws a stellate incision is made in the skin, through which the leech sucks blood till it is gorged, and then drops off. The stomach has large pouches on each side to hold the blood. The common large bloodsucking leech of America (Macrobdella decora) is dark olive above, and red below, with black spots. Many kinds of leeches are parasitic on fishes; others feed upon worms and mollusks, and have no jaws for drawing blood. See Bdelloidea. Hirudinea, and Clepsine.
3. (Surg.)
Definition: A glass tube of peculiar construction, adapted for drawing blood from a scarified part by means of a vacuum. Horse leech, a less powerful European leech (Hæmopis vorax), commonly attacking the membrane that lines the inside of the mouth and nostrils of animals that drink at pools where it lives.
Leech, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Leeched; p. pr. & vb. n. Leeching.]
1. To treat as a surgeon; to doctor; as, to leech wounds. [Archaic]
2. To bleed by the use of leeches.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
23 December 2024
(noun) Australian tree having hard white timber and glossy green leaves with white flowers followed by one-seeded glossy blue fruit
Coffee dates back to the 9th century. Goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats seem to be “dancing” after eating berries from a particular shrub. They reported it to the local monastery, and a monk made a drink out of it. The monk found out he felt energized and kept him awake at night. That’s how the first coffee drink was born.
