Horse leech

Horse leech
Leech Leech, n. [OE. leche, l[ae]che, physician, AS. l[=ae]ce; akin to Fries. l[=e]tza, OHG. l[=a]hh[=i], Icel. l[ae]knari, Sw. l["a]kare, Dan. l[ae]ge, Goth. l[=e]keis, AS. l[=a]cnian to heal, Sw. l["a]ka, Dan. l[ae]ge, Icel. l[ae]kna, Goth. l[=e]kin[=o]n.] 1. A physician or surgeon; a professor of the art of healing. [Written also {leach}.] [Archaic] --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

Leech, heal thyself. --Wyclif (Luke iv. 23).

2. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous genera and species of annulose worms, belonging to the order {Hirudinea}, or Bdelloidea, esp. those species used in medicine, as {Hirudo medicinalis} of Europe, and allied species. [1913 Webster]

Note: In the mouth of bloodsucking leeches are three convergent, serrated jaws, moved by strong muscles. By the motion of these jaws a stellate incision is made in the skin, through which the leech sucks blood till it is gorged, and then drops off. The stomach has large pouches on each side to hold the blood. The common large bloodsucking leech of America ({Macrobdella decora}) is dark olive above, and red below, with black spots. Many kinds of leeches are parasitic on fishes; others feed upon worms and mollusks, and have no jaws for drawing blood. See {Bdelloidea}. {Hirudinea}, and {Clepsine}. [1913 Webster]

3. (Surg.) A glass tube of peculiar construction, adapted for drawing blood from a scarified part by means of a vacuum. [1913 Webster]

{Horse leech}, a less powerful European leech ({H[ae]mopis vorax}), commonly attacking the membrane that lines the inside of the mouth and nostrils of animals that drink at pools where it lives. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Horse-leech — n. 1. (Zo[ o]l.) A large blood sucking leech ({H[ae]mopsis vorax}), of Europe and Northern Africa. It attacks the lips and mouths of horses. [1913 Webster] 2. A farrier; a veterinary surgeon. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • horse|leech — «HRS LEECH», noun. a large European leech, supposed to attack the mouths and noses of horses as they drink …   Useful english dictionary

  • Horse-leech —    Occurs only in Prov. 30:15 (Heb. alukah); the generic name for any blood sucking annelid. There are various species in the marshes and pools of Palestine. That here referred to, the Hoemopis, is remarkable for the coarseness of its bite, and… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • horse leech — a leech of either genus Haemopis or Limnatis …   Medical dictionary

  • horse-leech — n. Farrier, horse doctor, veterinarian, veterinary surgeon …   New dictionary of synonyms

  • horse-leech — …   Useful english dictionary

  • Leech (Nouveau-Brunswick) — Leech Administration Pays  Canada Province …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Leech — Leech, n. [OE. leche, l[ae]che, physician, AS. l[=ae]ce; akin to Fries. l[=e]tza, OHG. l[=a]hh[=i], Icel. l[ae]knari, Sw. l[ a]kare, Dan. l[ae]ge, Goth. l[=e]keis, AS. l[=a]cnian to heal, Sw. l[ a]ka, Dan. l[ae]ge, Icel. l[ae]kna, Goth. l[=e]kin[ …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Horse-leechery — Horse leech er*y, n. The business of a farrier; especially, the art of curing the diseases of horses. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • European Medical Leech — Taxobox name = European Medical Leech status = LR/nt status system = IUCN2.3 image width = 220px image caption = European Medical Leech in the wild regnum = Animalia phylum = Annelida classis = Clitellata ordo = Hirudinea familia = Hirudidae… …   Wikipedia

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