leech

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈlēch

plural leeches

Synonyms of leech next

[from its former use by physicians for bleeding patients] : any of numerous carnivorous or bloodsucking usually freshwater annelid worms (class Hirudinea) that have typically a flattened lanceolate segmented body with a sucker at each end

: a hanger-on who seeks advantage or gain

a celebrity surrounded by leeches who only want his money

archaic : physician, surgeon

leechlike

ˈlēch-ˌlīk

adjective

leech

2 of 3

verb

leeched; leeching; leeches

intransitive verb

: to attach oneself to a person as a leech

… she would leech on to him and drain the life out of him.—

W. L. Gresham

transitive verb

: to bleed by the use of leeches

: to drain the substance of : exhaust

… bankers who had always leeched them white.—

D. A. Munro

leech

3 of 3

noun (2)

ˈlēch

variants or less commonly leach

: either vertical edge of a square sail

: the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail

Choose the Right Synonym for leech

parasite, sycophant, toady, leech, sponge mean a usually obsequious flatterer or self-seeker.

parasite applies to one who clings to a person of wealth, power, or influence or is useless to society.

a jet-setter with an entourage of parasites

sycophant adds to this a strong suggestion of fawning, flattery, or adulation.

a powerful prince surrounded by sycophants

toady emphasizes the servility and snobbery of the self-seeker.

cultivated leaders of society and became their toady

leech stresses persistence in clinging to or bleeding another for one's own advantage.

a leech living off his family and friends

sponge stresses the parasitic laziness, dependence, and opportunism of the cadger.

a shiftless sponge, always looking for a handout

Examples of leech in a Sentence

Noun (1) whenever the gang went out for pizza, the leech in the group always had an excuse for not paying his fair share

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

Both legs were covered in black leeches, many over three inches long. —

Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2024 But the twist of Harley being yet another leech off Arthur, plus fabricating her own traumatic backstory just to fetishize Arthur’s mental illness, was a disservice to the lore of Harley herself. —

Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2024

Verb

Certainly there is beauty and awe to fill anyone’s soul, but does a chill draft blow through there as well, leeching ice into the spirit and sending a frisson of tingles down one’s spine? —

Phil Plait, Scientific American, 25 Oct. 2024 There’s nothing anyone can do but watch as Agatha leeches the life out of Alice, another undeserving victim of the Road. —

Caroline Framke, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for leech

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb

Middle English leche, from Old English lǣce; akin to Old High German lāhhi physician

Noun (2)

Middle English leche; akin to Middle Low German līk boltrope

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1641, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of leech was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Leech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leech. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

leech

noun

ˈlēch

: any of numerous flesh-eating or bloodsucking usually flattened worms that are made up of segments and have a sucker at each end

: a person who clings like a leech to another person for advantage or gain : parasite

Etymology

Noun

Old English lǣce "doctor, physician"

Word Origin

In the early days of medicine, a physician, known in Old English as a lǣce, often drew blood from patients. These doctors acted in the belief that good health depended on a balance of four controlling fluids in the body. These four fluids were called humors, and one of them was blood. In those days physicians believed that a person became ill if there was too much blood or too little of any of the other humors in the body. Thus they used a controlled bleeding of the patient, or bloodletting as it was called, to balance the humors. An easy way to do this was to attach bloodsucking worms to the body. These worms are common in all parts of the world and especially in marshes and swamps. Today we call these sucking worms leeches, taking the name from those ancient doctors who used them so often.

Medical Definition

leech

1 of 2 noun

ˈlēch

: any of numerous carnivorous or bloodsucking annelid worms that comprise the class Hirudinea, that typically have a flattened segmented lance-shaped body with well-marked external annulations, a sucker at each end, a mouth within the anterior sucker, and a large stomach with pouches of large capacity at the sides, that are hermaphroditic usually with direct development, and that occur chiefly in freshwater although a few are marine and some tropical forms are terrestrial see medicinal leech

leech

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to treat as a physician : cure, heal

: to bleed by the use of leeches

Last Updated: 27 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

frugal

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

leech

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

Synonyms

Examples of leech in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near leech

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition