leech

leech
leech1
leechlike, adj.
/leech/, n.
1. any bloodsucking or carnivorous aquatic or terrestrial worm of the class Hirudinea, certain freshwater species of which were formerly much used in medicine for bloodletting.
2. a person who clings to another for personal gain, esp. without giving anything in return, and usually with the implication or effect of exhausting the other's resources; parasite.
3. Archaic. an instrument used for drawing blood.
v.t.
4. to apply leeches to, so as to bleed.
5. to cling to and feed upon or drain, as a leech: His relatives leeched him until his entire fortune was exhausted.
6. Archaic. to cure; heal.
v.i.
7. to hang on to a person in the manner of a leech: She leeched on to him for dear life.
[bef. 900; ME leche, OE laece; r. (by confusion with LEECH2) ME liche, OE lyce; c. MD lieke; akin to OE lucan to pull out, MHG liechen to pull]
Syn. 2. bloodsucker; extortioner; sponger.
leech2
/leech/, n. Archaic.
a physician.
[bef. 1150; ME leche, OE laece; c. OS laki, OHG lahhi, Goth lekeis; akin to ON laeknir]
leech3
/leech/, n. Naut.
1. either of the lateral edges of a square sail.
2. the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail. See diag. under sail.
Also, leach.
[1480-90; earlier lek, leche, lyche; akin to D lijk leech, ON lik nautical term of uncert. meaning]

* * *

Any annelid worm of the class Hirudinea (about 300 known species), with a small sucker containing the mouth at the front end and a large sucker at the back end.

Species range from tiny to about 8 in. (20 cm) long. Leeches live primarily in freshwater or on land. Some species are predators, some eat organic debris, and others are parasitic. Aquatic leeches may feed on the blood of fishes, amphibians, birds, and mammals, or they may eat snails, insect larvae, and worms. True land leeches feed only on the blood of mammals. Substances in the leech's saliva anesthetize the wound area, dilate the blood vessels, and prevent the blood from clotting. For centuries, some species have been used to drain off blood. Hirudin, extracted from the European medicinal leech, is used medically as an anticoagulant.

European medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis).

Jacques Six

* * *

  any of about 650 species of segmented worms (phylum Annelida) characterized by a small sucker, which contains the mouth, at the anterior end of the body and a large sucker located at the posterior end. All leeches have 34 body segments. The length of the body ranges from minute to about 20 cm (8 inches) or even longer when the animal stretches. Leeches occur primarily in freshwater and on land. Members of the order Rhynchobdellida occur in the sea as well as in freshwater. One member of this order, the giant Amazon leech (Haementaria ghilianii) can grow to a half-metre (about 18 inches) in length. This leech uses its 15-cm (6-inch) proboscis as a hypodermic needle to suck blood from its host. Some species of leeches are predators of other animals; some eat organic debris; others are parasitic.

      Leeches breathe through the skin. The digestive system contains a crop, or pouch, in which food can be stored for several months. One to four pairs of eyes are located at the anterior end. Individuals are hermaphroditic (hermaphroditism); that is, functional reproductive organs of both sexes occur in the same individual. Leeches are not self-fertilizing, however, for the sperm of one individual fertilizes only the eggs of other individuals. The eggs are laid in a cocoon, which may be deposited on land or in water. Development and growth are direct, without a free-living larval stage.

 Aquatic leeches may feed on the blood of fishes, amphibians, birds, and mammals, or they may eat snails, insect larvae, and worms. True land leeches feed only on the blood of mammals. Three jaws set with sharp teeth make a Y-shaped incision in the flesh. The leech's saliva contains substances that anesthetize the wound area, dilate the blood vessels to increase blood flow, and prevent the blood from clotting. The anticoagulant hirudin, which is extracted from the body tissues of the European medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis), is used to prevent blood clots following surgery; another chemical isolated from Amazonian leeches is used to dissolve existing blood clots.

      Land leeches await their victim in damp vegetation, poising one end in the air. The victim is often unaware that he has been bitten until blood is discovered running from the wound; blood flow may continue because of the anticoagulant still present.

      Leeches that attack humans belong to the family Gnathobdellidae. Some species have been used medically for centuries; in Europe the use of leeches to drain off blood reached its height of popularity in the 19th century. Diseases commonly treated with leeches included mental illness, tumours, skin disease, gout, and whooping cough. A common treatment for headache was to apply several leeches to each temple and allow them to draw blood. Leeches have also been used to prevent excessive blood buildup following certain surgical procedures (e.g., reattachment of severed fingers).

      In addition to H. medicinalis of Europe, the Algerian dragon (H. troctina) was used. Gnathobdella ferox was commonly used in Asia. After H. medicinalis was introduced into North America, it established itself there as a wild species. It grows to 10 cm (4 inches) in length and is green, with four to six brown stripes.

      Other land leeches that attack humans are primarily of the genus Haemadipsa in Asia, the Philippines, the East Indies, and Madagascar. Leeches of the genus Philaemon are parasitic on humans in Australia.

      Aquatic leeches, particularly Limnatis nilotica, may enter the body in drinking water. Some may enter the excretory openings of persons who bathe in infested waters. L. nilotica, which inhabits lakes and streams of southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, attains lengths of up to 12 cm (4.75 inches), but younger, smaller specimens are most likely to enter the body. When ingested with drinking water they may first attach themselves to the linings of the nose or throat and then be inhaled into the lungs. A person infected with many such leeches may suffer from anemia resulting from blood loss. In external wounds secondary infection is more likely to occur than anemia. Leeches can cause suffocation and death of the host by blocking the breathing passages; in Asia, in particular, domestic animals commonly die in this way.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Leech — steht für: leech, englisch für Leechen Leech Records, Schweizer Independent Plattenlabel Leech Lake, Stausee im US Bundesstaat Minnesota Leech ist der Familienname folgender Personen: John Leech (Karikaturist) (1817–1864), britischer Zeichner und …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Leech — /leech/, n. Margaret, 1893 1974, U.S. historian, novelist, and biographer. * * * Any annelid worm of the class Hirudinea (about 300 known species), with a small sucker containing the mouth at the front end and a large sucker at the back end.… …   Universalium

  • 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

  • Leech — Leech, n. [Cf. LG. leik, Icel. l[=i]k, Sw. lik boltrope, st[*a]ende liken the leeches.] (Naut.) The border or edge at the side of a sail. [Written also {leach}.] [1913 Webster] {Leech line}, a line attached to the leech ropes of sails, passing up …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • LEECH — (Heb. עֲלוּקָה, AV, JPS: horseleech ), blood sucking worm. The aphorism in the Book of Proverbs (30:15) that the leech hath two daughters: Give, give refers to the two sucking disks on its head with which it adheres to its prey and sucks its… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Leech — Leech, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Leeched} (l[=e]cht); p. pr. & vb. n. {Leeching}.] 1. To treat as a surgeon; to doctor; as, to leech wounds. [Archaic] [1913 Webster] 2. To bleed by the use of leeches. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Leech — (l[=e]ch), n. See 2d {Leach}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Leech — Leech, v. t. See {Leach}, v. t. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • leech — [li:tʃ] n [: Old English; Origin: lAce] 1.) a small soft creature that fixes itself to the skin of animals in order to drink their blood 2.) someone who takes advantage of other people by taking their money, food etc ▪ The family began to see him …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • leech — leech·dom; leech; …   English syllables

  • leech — ► NOUN 1) a parasitic or predatory worm with suckers at both ends, formerly used in medicine for bloodletting. 2) a person who extorts profit from or lives off others. ► VERB (leech on/off) ▪ habitually exploit or rely on. ORIGIN Old English …   English terms dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”