Leach

[leech] /litʃ/

verb (used with object)
1.
to dissolve out soluble constituents from (ashes, soil, etc.) by percolation.
2.
to cause (water or other liquid) to percolate through something.
verb (used without object)
3.
(of ashes, soil, etc.) to undergo the action of percolating water.
4.
to percolate, as water.
noun
5.
the act or process of leaching.
6.
a product or solution obtained by leaching; .
7.
the material leached.
8.
a vessel for use in leaching.
[leech] /litʃ/
noun, Nautical.
1.
3 .
[leech] /litʃ/
noun, Nautical.
1.
either of the lateral edges of a square sail.
2.
the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail.
/liːtʃ/
verb
1.
to remove or be removed from a substance by a percolating liquid
2.
to lose or cause to lose soluble substances by the action of a percolating liquid
3.
another word for percolate (sense 1), percolate (sense 2)
noun
4.
the act or process of leaching
5.
a substance that is leached or the constituents removed by leaching
6.
a porous vessel for leaching
/liːtʃ/
noun
1.
a variant spelling of leech2
/liːtʃ/
noun
1.
Bernard (Howell). 1887–1979, British potter, born in Hong Kong
/liːtʃ/
noun
1.
any annelid worm of the class Hirudinea, which have a sucker at each end of the body and feed on the blood or tissues of other animals See also horseleech, medicinal leech
2.
a person who clings to or preys on another person
3.

4.
cling like a leech, to cling or adhere persistently to something
verb
5.
(transitive) to use leeches to suck the blood of (a person), as a method of medical treatment
/liːtʃ/
noun
1.
(nautical) the after edge of a fore-and-aft sail or either of the vertical edges of a squaresail
v.

Old English leccan “to moisten, water, wet, irrigate,” (see leak). The word disappears, then re-emerges late 18c. in a technological sense in reference to percolating liquids. Related: Leached; leaching.
n.

“bloodsucking aquatic worm,” from Old English læce (Kentish lyce), of unknown origin (with a cognate in Middle Dutch lake). Commonly regarded as a transferred use of leech (n.2), but the Old English forms suggest a distinct word, which has been assimilated to leech (n.2) by folk etymology [see OED]. Figuratively applied to human parasites since 1784.

obsolete for “physician,” from Old English læce, probably from Old Danish læke, from Proto-Germanic *lekjaz “enchanter, one who speaks magic words; healer, physician” (cf. Old Frisian letza, Old Saxon laki, Old Norse læknir, Old High German lahhi, Gothic lekeis “physician”), literally “one who counsels,” perhaps connected with a root found in Celtic (cf. Irish liaig “charmer, exorcist, physician”) and Slavic (cf. Serbo-Croatian lijekar, Polish lekarz), from PIE *lep-agi “conjurer,” from root *leg- “to collect,” with derivatives meaning “to speak” (see lecture (n.)).

For sense development, cf. Old Church Slavonic baliji “doctor,” originally “conjurer,” related to Serbo-Croatian bajati “enchant, conjure;” Old Church Slavonic vrači, Russian vrač “doctor,” related to Serbo-Croatian vrač “sorcerer, fortune-teller.” The form merged with leech (n.1) in Middle English, apparently by folk etymology. In 17c., leech usually was applied only to veterinary practitioners. The fourth finger of the hand, in Old English, was læcfinger, translating Latin digitus medicus, Greek daktylus iatrikos, supposedly because a vein from that finger stretches straight to the heart.

leech 1 (lēch)
n.
Any of various chiefly aquatic bloodsucking or carnivorous annelid worms of the class Hirudinea, one species of which (Hirudo medicinalis) was formerly used by physicians to bleed patients. v. leeched, leech·ing, leech·es
To bleed with leeches.

noun

A human parasite (1784+)

verb

: insisted that MCI was not leeching off the successful campaign of its competition (1960s+)