n.
Pronunciation: ' l ē ch
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English leche, from Old English l ǣ ce; akin to Old High German l ā hhi physician
Date: before 12th century
1 archaic : PHYSICIAN , SURGEON
2 [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
3 : a hanger-on who seeks advantage or gain
synonyms see PARASITE
– leech · like \ - ˌ l ī k \ adjective