LEECH
What does "LEECH" mean?
A blood-sucking worm with suckers at both ends, found mostly in fresh water.
Meanings
- A segmented worm of the class Hirudinea that feeds on the blood of other animals. A leech attached itself to his ankle as he waded through the pond.
- A person who clings to another to exploit them for gain. He turned out to be a leech, living off his friends for months. figurative
- To drain away resources or goodwill from someone. The bad investment leeched his savings within a year. figurative
Did you know?
- In 2004 the U.S. FDA officially cleared the medicinal leech as a medical device - surgeons still use them to drain blood and save reattached fingers, ears, and skin grafts.
Word origin
From Old English 'læce', which meant both the worm and, separately, a physician - the two senses long entangled because doctors used the worms to draw blood.
Remember it
LEECH has two E's like two suckers; a LEACH (one E, one A) drains soil instead of blood.
A little poem
It asks for nothing-
only your warmth, and your blood,
and all of your trust.
haiku
Wordplay
- My friend kept borrowing money and never paid me back. Eventually I realized he wasn't a friend, he was a fluid-management specialist.
What it teaches
Some attachments take only a little at a time - which is exactly how they take it all.
Quick facts
What does LEECH mean?
A blood-sucking worm with suckers at both ends, found mostly in fresh water.
Is LEECH a valid word?
Yes — LEECH is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is LEECH?
LEECH has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does LEECH come from?
From Old English 'læce', which meant both the worm and, separately, a physician - the two senses long entangled because doctors used the worms to draw blood.
What can LEECH teach us?
Some attachments take only a little at a time - which is exactly how they take it all.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.