Standard Lemma guide
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
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name
A surname originating as an occupation, derived from the profession leech, a former word for a physician.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A typically aquatic blood-sucking annelid of the subclass Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A person who derives advantage from others in a parasitic fashion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A glass tube designed for drawing blood from damaged tissue by means of a vacuum.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A physician.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A healer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Germanic
Topics: lifestyle, paganism, religion
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The vertical edge of a square sail.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: nautical, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The aft edge of a triangular sail.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: nautical, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To apply a leech medicinally, so that it sucks blood from the patient.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literally, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To drain (resources) without giving back.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
Synonyms: mooch, suck down
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To treat, cure or heal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, rare
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic or terrestrial worms typically having a sucker at each end
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: bloodsucker, hirudinean
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: annelid, annelid worm, segmented worm
Narrower terms: medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, horseleech
noun
a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: parasite, sponge, sponger
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: follower
verb
draw blood
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: bleed, phlebotomize, phlebotomise
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: treat, care for
History
* As an English surname, variant of Leach. * As an Irish surname, from Liaigh (“physician”) (a calque of the English surname) or Ó Laoghóg (“descendant of Laoghóg”) and Ó Maolmhaodhóg (“descendant of Maolmhaodhóg”); see Logue.
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).
From Middle English leche (“physician”), from Old English lǣċe (“doctor, physician”), from Proto-West Germanic *lākī, from Proto-Germanic *lēkijaz (“doctor”), of disputed origin, but usually thought to be connected with Proto-Celtic (compare Old Irish líaig (“doctor, physician”)); perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to collect, gather”). Cognate with Old Frisian lētza (“physician”), Old Saxon lāki (“physician”), Old High German lāhhi (“doctor, healer”), Danish læge (“doctor, surgeon”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (lēkeis, “physician”). Slavic words such as Serbo-Croatian ljèkār, Polish lekarz (“physician, doctor”) are usually considered to be borrowings from Germanic.
From Middle English lek, leche, lyche, from Old Norse lík (“leechline”), from Proto-West Germanic *līk, from Proto-Germanic *līką (compare West Frisian lyk (“band”), Dutch lijk (“boltrope”), Middle High German geleich (“joint, limb”)), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- ‘to bind’ (compare Latin ligō (“tie, bind”), Ukrainian нали́гати (nalýhaty, “to bridle, fetter”), Albanian lidh (“to bind”), Hittite link- (caus. linganu-) ‘to swear’ (with -n- infix).
From Middle English lechen (“to cure, heal, treat”), from Middle English leche (“doctor, physician”). Compare Swedish läka (“to heal”).
Across languages
264 source translations are retained for this English entry.
