leech Definition

physician, surgeon

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

to bleed by the use of leeches

to drain the substance of : exhaust

to attach oneself to a person as a leech

either vertical edge of a square sail

the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail

either vertical edge of a square sail

the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail

a large European freshwater leech (Hirudo medicinalis) that is a source of hirudin, is sometimes used to drain blood (as from newly grafted tissue), and was formerly used to bleed patients thought to have excess blood