LEECH

Leech

Leeches are segmented worms that belong to the phylum Annelida and comprise the subclass Hirudinea. Like other oligochaetes, such as earthworms, leeches share a clitellum and are hermaphrodites. Nevertheless, they differ from other oligochaetes in significant ways. For example, leeches do not have bristles and the external segmentation of their bodies does not correspond with the internal segmentation of their organs. Their bodies are much more solid as the spaces in their coelom are dense with connective tissues. They also have two suckers, one at each end.

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leech

Noun

  1. An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially .
  2. A person who derives profit from others, in a parasitic fashion.
  3. A glass tube designed for drawing blood from a scarified part by means of a vacuum.

Noun (etymology 2)

  1. A physician.
  2. A healer.
  3. A glass tube adapted for drawing blood from a scarified part by means of a vacuum.

Noun (etymology 3)

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

Verb

  1. To apply a leech medicinally, so that it sucks blood from the patient.
  2. To drain (resources) without giving back.
    Bert leeched hundreds of files from the BBS, but never uploaded anything in return.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: leech
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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