/ liːtʃ; NAmE / noun
1.
a small worm that usually lives in water and that attaches itself to other creatures and sucks their blood. Leeches were used in the past by doctors to remove blood from sick people.
2.
( disapproving ) a person who depends on sb else for money, or takes the profit from sb else's work
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English lǣce , lӯce ; related to Middle Dutch lake , lieke .