Leech

n.	1.	See 2d Leach.
v. t.	1.	See Leach, v. t.
n.	1.	(Naut.) The border or edge at the side of a sail. Leech line a line attached to the leech ropes of sails, passing up through blocks on the yards, to haul the leeches by. Leech rope that part of the boltrope to which the side of a sail is sewed. - Totten.
	1.	A physician or surgeon; a professor of the art of healing. Leech, heal thyself. - Wyclif (Luke iv. 23).
	2.	(Zool.) Any one of numerous genera and species of annulose worms, belonging to the order Hirudinea, or Bdelloidea, esp. those species <- formerly! -> used in medicine, as Hirudo medicinalis of Europe, and allied species.
	3.	(Surg.) A glass tube of peculiar construction, adapted for drawing blood from a scarified part by means of a vacuum. Horse leech a less powerful European leech (Hæmopis vorax), commonly attacking the membrane that lines the inside of the mouth and nostrils of animals that drink at pools where it lives.
v. t.	1.	To treat as a surgeon; to doctor; as, to leech wounds. [imp. & p. p. Leeched (lēcht); p. pr. & vb. n. Leeching.]
	2.	To bleed by the use of leeches.

Noun	1.	leech - carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic or terrestrial worms typically having a sucker at each end Synonyms: bloodsucker, hirudinean
	2.	leech - a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage Synonyms: parasite, sponger, sponge
Verb	1.	leech - draw blood; "In the old days, doctors routinely bled patients as part of the treatment" Synonyms: phlebotomise, phlebotomize, bleed

Chilopoda, Chordata, Doctor of Medicine, Echiuroidea, Ectoprocta, Entoprocta, GP, MD, Monoplacophora, Nemertinea, Phoronidea, adherent, adhesive, allopath, allopathist, attending physician, beat, bedbug, blackmailer, bleed, boltrope, bramble, brier, bulldog, burr, canvas, cement, clew, cloth, coroner, country doctor, cringle, croaker, crowd of sail, cup, deadbeat, decal, decalcomania, doc, doctor, earing, extortionist, family doctor, foot, fore-and-aft sail, freeloader, general practitioner, give a transfusion, glue, gunk, harpy, head, house physician, intern, let blood, limpet, luff, medical attendant, medical examiner, medical man, medical practitioner, medico, molasses, mosquito, mucilage, muslin, parasite, paste, perfuse, phlebotomize, physician, physician in ordinary, plain sail, plaster, predator, press of sail, prickle, profiteer, racketeer, rag, raptor, reduced sail, reef point, reefed sail, remora, resident, resident physician, sail, sawbones, shakedown artist, shark, smell-feast, sponge, sponger, square sail, sticker, syrup, thorn, tick, transfuse, vampire, vulture, wood tick