leech

1. A bloodsucking aquatic annelid worm (genus Hirudo, class Hirudinea) sometimes used in medicine for local withdrawal of blood.For various l. species, see Hirudo. 2. To treat medically by applying leeches. [A.S. laece, a physician; a l., because of its therapeutic use]

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leech 'lēch n any of numerous carnivorous or bloodsucking annelid worms that comprise the class Hirudinea, that typically have a flattened segmented lance-shaped body with well-marked external annulations, a sucker at each end, a mouth within the anterior sucker, and a large stomach with pouches of large capacity at the sides, that are hermaphroditic usu. with direct development, and that occur chiefly in freshwater although a few are marine and some tropical forms are terrestrial see MEDICINAL LEECH

leech vt

1) to treat as a physician: CURE, HEAL

2) to bleed by the use of leeches

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n.

a type of worm that possesses suckers at both ends of its body. Leeches occur in tropical forests and grasslands and in water. Certain parasitic species suck blood from animals and humans, and their bites cause irritation and, in some cases, infection. Rarely, leeches are taken in with foul drinking water and pass from the mouth to the nose, where they provoke headache and nose bleeds. A leech can be detached from its host by applying salt; calamine lotion eases the irritation of the bites. Formerly widely used for letting blood, the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) may now be used following microsurgery (e.g. to replace a severed finger) to restore patency to blocked or collapsed blood vessels and thus encourage the growth of new capillaries. The anticoagulants in the saliva of this and other species are being investigated for the treatment and prevention of thrombosis. See also hirudin.

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(lēch) [L. hirudo] 1. any of the annelids of the class Hirudinea. Some species are bloodsuckers that parasitize various animals. Leeches are sometimes used for drawing blood (see leeching). 2. to apply leeches.