Leech Meaning
/ˈliːt͡ʃ/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounAn aquatic blood-sucking annelid of subclass Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
nounA typically aquatic blood-sucking annelid of the subclass Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
Sentence Examples
A more plausible proposal is the one Leech presented in conjunction with Emmet's theory.
The leech sucked his blood.
The earthworm and the leech are both segmented worms.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The swimmer found a blood-sucking ____ attached to his leg after swimming in the lake.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
In the past, doctors sometimes used a ____ to bleed patients, believing it would help to cure various illnesses.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English leche (“blood-sucking worm”), from Old English lǣċe (“blood-sucking worm”), akin to Middle Dutch lāke ("blood-sucking worm"; > modern Dutch laak).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The leech on his leg had swelled to more than five inches long, puffed and swollen on his blood."
— 2003, William W. Johnstone, The Last Of The Dog Team, page 195:
"'Wrecked his body and his mind, no use to hisself or his family or nobody, just a leech on society'."
— 2000, Ray Garmon, The Man Who Just Didn't Care, page 20:
"At this point, I felt this man was a leech. I suspected that he had spent a lifetime living off the good will of women that he met."
— 2006, D. L. Harman, A State of Nine One One, page 106:
"The poppy made him sleep and while he slept they leeched him to drain off the bad blood."
— 2000 August 8, George R[aymond] R[ichard] Martin, “Davos [Seaworth]”, in A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire; 3), London: Voyager, →ISBN, page 285:
"Her daughter Astrid (new Tim Burton muse Jenna Ortega) barely speaks to her, and her greasy-haired boyfriend Rory (Justin Theroux, proving once again to be a comedic tour de force) obviously leeching off her fame and money"
— 2024 September 6, Anna McKibbin, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice reinvigorates Tim Burton’s stale brand, returning to practical playfulness”, in AV Club:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The swimmer found a blood-sucking ____ attached to his leg after swimming in the lake.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
In the past, doctors sometimes used a ____ to bleed patients, believing it would help to cure various illnesses.