leech

leech (lēch) any of the annelids of the class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis; some species are bloodsuckers. Leeches have been used for drawing blood.

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leech (lch)

n.

Any of various chiefly aquatic bloodsucking or carnivorous annelid worms of the class Hirudinea, one species of which (Hirudo medicinalis) was formerly used by physicians to bleed patients.

v.

To bleed with leeches.

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leech

1. any of the annelids of the class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis; some species are bloodsuckers, and used for drawing blood.

2. one of the granular bodies in swamp cancer. Called also grains.

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equine leech

see swamp cancer.

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leech

noun A segmented annelid of fresh water or soil in the tropics and subtropics; classic medicinal leech is Hirudo medicinalis, others include Poecilobdella, Dinobdella, Limnatis, Haemadipsa, Macrobdella Medical uses Remove excess blood from operative field; stimulate capillary ingrowth in reimplanted, traumatically amputated extremities and in plastic surgery; extract hirudin, a potent anticoagulant, and undelineated substances in leech saliva that inhibit tumor spread. See Hirudin, Limnatis nilotica verbTo treat with a leech, to let blood.