Standard Lemma guide

horse-leech

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A type of sucking worm, Haemopis sanguisuga, larger than the common leech.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A veterinarian for horses.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English horseleche, horse leche (“horse doctor; bloodsucker, leech”), equivalent to horse + leech. The worm is so called because it commonly attacks the membrane that lines the inside of the mouth and nostrils of animals, such as horses, that drink at pools where it lives.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chungli Ao: melet — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Chinese Mandarin: 馬蛭 /马蛭 (mǎzhì) — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Czech: pijavka koňská — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Estonian: hobukaan — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Finnish: hevosjuotikas — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • German: Pferdeegel — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Hebrew: עֲלוּקָה ('aluká) — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Hungarian: lópióca — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Irish: súmaire — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Japanese: ウマヒル (umahiru) — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Korean: 말거머리 (malgeomeori) — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Norwegian: hesteigle — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Polish: pijawka końska — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Russian: ко́нская пия́вка (kónskaja pijávka) — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Swedish: hästigel — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Ottoman Turkish: اشك سولوكی (eşek sülüğü) — Haemopis sanguisuga
  • Vietnamese: đỉa trâu — Haemopis sanguisuga