leech

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Translations 1.2.1.2 Derived terms 1.2.2 Verb 1.2.2.1 Derived terms 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Noun 1.4 Etymology 3 1.4.1 Noun 1.4.1.1 Translations 1.4.1.2 Derived terms 1.4.1.3 Related terms 1.4.2 See also 1.5 References 2 West Frisian 2.1 Adjective

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: lēch, IPA: /liːtʃ/, SAMPA: /li:tS/
• Rhymes: -iːtʃ
• Homophones: leach

[edit] Etymology 1

Old English læċe

[edit] Noun

leech (plural leeches)

1. An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
2. A person who derives profit from others, in a parasitic fashion.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Derived terms

• leechcraft

[edit] Verb

to leech (third-person singular simple present leeches, present participle leeching, simple past and past participle leeched)

1. (transitive) To apply a leech medicinally.
2. (transitive) To drain (resources) without giving back.

   Bert leeched hundreds of files from the BBS, but never uploaded anything in return.

[edit] Derived terms

• leecher

[edit] Etymology 2

Old English lǣċe, from Proto-Germanic *lǣkjoz, from Proto-Indo-European *lēgios. Cognate with Danish læge; and compare Serbo-Croatian lijek/лек (“‘medicine, cure’”), Bulgarian лек.

[edit] Noun

leech (plural leeches)

1. (archaic) A physician.
   • 1992, Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, Harper Perennial 2007, p. 11:

     He coughed sputum stained with blood, and a scraping, crackling noise came from his chest, quite audible to anyone in the room. ‘Lungs possibly not too good,’ the leech said.

2. (paganism) A healer in Heathenry.
   • (A date for this quote is being sought): Swain Wodening, “Scandinavian Craft Lesson 6: Runic Divination”, Theod Magazine, volume 3, number 4

     In ancient times runesters were a specialized class separate from that of the witch or ordinary spell caster (much as the other specialists such as the leech or healer and the seithkona were different from a witch), and even today many believe it takes years of training to become adept at using the runes in spell work.

   • 1900, Augustus Henry Keane, Man, Past and Present, The University Press (Cambridge)

     Their functions are threefold, those of the medicine-man (the leech, or healer by supernatural means); of the soothsayer (the prophet through communion with the invisible world); and of the priest, especially in his capacity as exorcist

   • 2003, Brian Froud and Ari Berk, The Runes of Elfland, Pavillion Books, ISBN 1 86205 647 1, page 22

     "Leech?" "Not another doctor".

   • 2004, Runic John, The Book of Seithr, Capall Bann Publishing, ISBN 186163 299 0, page 282

     There are many kinds of "Leech" or "healer" as there are healing techniques, some are more powerful than others and some are very specific to certain illnesses and complaints; some use potions and unguents, others crystals and stones, others galdr and some work their healing from within the hidden realms themselves.

[edit] Etymology 3

Middle English, maybe from Old Norse lik

[edit] Noun

leech

1. (nautical) The vertical edge of a square sail
2. (nautical) The aft edge of a triangular sail

[edit] Translations

[edit] Derived terms

• leech line

[edit] Related terms

• luff
• foot

[edit] See also

• Wikipedia article on parts of a sail

[edit] References

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[edit] West Frisian

[edit] Adjective

leech

1. low
2. empty

1. "De opfreeche side titel wie ûnjildich, leech, of in miskeppele." (The requested page title was invalid, empty or improperly linked.)