Leech Definition
- phlebotomise
- phlebotomize
- bleed
- freeload
- sponge
Origin of Leech
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From Middle English leche (“physician"), from Old English lǣċe (“doctor, physician"), from Proto-Germanic *lÄ“kijaz (“doctor"), from Proto-Indo-European *lÄ“g(')- (“doctor"). Cognate with Old Frisian lÄ“tza (“physician"), Old Saxon lāki (“physician"), Old High German lāhhi (“doctor, healer"), Danish læge (“doctor, surgeon"), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (lekeis, “physician"), Old Irish líaig (“exorcist, doctor").
From Wiktionary
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Middle English lek, leche, lyche, from Old Norse lík (“leechline"), from Proto-Germanic *lÄ«kÄ… (compare West Frisian lyk (“band"), Dutch lijk (“boltrope"), Middle High German geleich (“joint, limb")), from Proto-Indo-European *leiĝ- "˜to bind' (compare Latin ligō (“tie, bind"), Ukrainian налигати (nalýhaty, “to bridle, fetter"), Albanian lidh (“to bind")).
From Wiktionary
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From Middle English leche (“blood-sucking worm"), from Old English lǣċe (“blood-sucking worm"), akin to Middle Dutch lāke (“blood-sucking worm") (Dutch laak).
From Wiktionary
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Middle English leche probably from Middle Low German līk leech line leig- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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Middle English leche physician, leech from Old English lǣce leg- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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