Definition of "leech" in Anglais

noun

1. An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of subclass Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.

2. (figuratively) A person who derives advantage from others in a parasitic fashion.

3. (medicine, dated) A glass tube designed for drawing blood from damaged tissue by means of a vacuum.

verb

1. (transitive, literally) To apply a leech medicinally, so that it sucks blood from the patient.

2. (transitive, figuratively) To drain (resources) without giving back.

   • Near-synonyms: mooch, suck down
   • Bert leeched hundreds of files from the BBS, but never uploaded anything in return.

noun

1. (archaic) A physician.

   • 1610, Bolton, Armoriesː As if an expert leech must needs be expert in the physicks (that is, in those speculations which concerne the workes of nature) the nearest word to fall with our tongue, yet not farre from the thing, was physitian.

2. (Germanic paganism) A healer.

   • In ancient times runesters were a specialized class separate from that of the witch or ordinary spell caster (much as the other specialists such as the leech or healer and the seithkona were different from a witch), and even today many believe it takes years of training to become adept at using the runes in spell work.

verb

1. (archaic, rare) To treat, cure or heal.

   • 1564, Accounts of Louth Corporalː Paid for leeching.. my horses very sick.
   • 1566–74, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotlandː To one man (that) broke his leg in Strivelin … Item to the man that leecheth him.
   • 1850, Blackieː A disease that none may leech.

noun

1. (nautical) The vertical edge of a square sail.

2. (nautical) The aft edge of a triangular sail.