leechとは

意味・読み方・使い方

発音

• (英国発音, 米国発音) enPR: lēch, IPA^(key): /liːtʃ/
• Homophone: leach
• 韻: -iːtʃ

語源 1

From Middle English leche (“blood-sucking worm”), from 古期英語 lǣċe (“blood-sucking worm”), akin to Middle Dutch lāke ("blood-sucking worm"; > modern Dutch laak).

名詞

leech (複数形 leeches)

1. An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
   • 2003, William W. Johnstone, The Last Of The Dog Team, page 195

     The leech on his leg had swelled to more than five inches long, puffed and swollen on his blood.

2. (figuratively) A person who derives profit from others in a parasitic fashion.
   • 2000, Ray Garmon, The Man Who Just Didn't Care, page 20

     'Wrecked his body and his mind, no use to hisself or his family or nobody, just a leech on society'.

   • 2006, D. L. Harman, A State of Nine One One, page 106

     At this point, I felt this man was a leech. I suspected that he had spent a lifetime living off the good will of women that he met.

3. (medicine, dated) A glass tube designed for drawing blood from damaged tissue by means of a vacuum.

同意語

• (person who lives as a parasite): parasite, sponger, bloodsucker, vampire; See also Thesaurus:scrounger

派生語

• land-leech
• leechlike
• water-leech

動詞

leech (三人称単数 現在形 leeches, 現在分詞 leeching, 過去形および過去分詞形 leeched)

1. (transitive) To apply a leech medicinally, so that it sucks blood from the patient.
   • 2003, George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords

     The poppy made him sleep and while he slept they leeched him to drain off the bad blood.

2. (transitive) To drain (resources) without giving back.

   Bert leeched hundreds of files from the BBS, but never uploaded anything in return.

   • 1992, AfricAsia 2 (1): 12

     Guinea is also blocking Strasser's efforts to stop illegal fishing in Sierra Leone's territorial waters and the smuggling of gold and diamonds, which leech hundreds of millions of dollars from the country's economy.

使用する際の注意点

Do not confuse this verb with the verb to leach.

同意語

• (to drain resources): drain

派生語

• leecher

語源 2

From Middle English leche (“physician”), from 古期英語 lǣċe (“doctor, physician”), from Proto-Germanic *lēkijaz (“doctor”), of disputed origin, but usually thought to be connected with Proto-Celtic (compare Old Irish líaig (“charmer, exorcist, physician”)) and Serbo-Croatian ljèkār, Polish lekarz (“physician, doctor”); perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to collect, gather”). Cognate with Old Frisian lētza (“physician”), Old Saxon lāki (“physician”), Old High German lāhhi (“doctor, healer”), Danish læge (“doctor, surgeon”), Gothic ������������ (lēkeis, “physician”), Old Irish líaig (“exorcist, doctor”).

名詞

leech (複数形 leeches)

1. (archaic) A physician.
   • 1590, The Faerie Queene, by Edmund Spenserː

     Many skillful leeches him abide to salve his hurts.

   • 1610, Bolton, Armoriesː

     The word Physitian we do vulgarly abuse (as we doe very many other(s)) for a Leech , or Medicus.

   • 1610, Bolton, Armoriesː

     As if an expert leech must needs be expert in the physicks (that is, in those speculations which concerne the workes of nature) the nearest word to fall with our tongue, yet not farre from the thing, was physitian.

   • 1663, Hudibras, by Samuel Butler, part 1, canto 2

     Thus virtuous Orsin was endued / With learning, conduct, fortitude / Incomparable; and as the prince / Of poets, Homer, sung long since, / A skilful leech is better far, / Than half a hundred men of war [...]

   • 1807, George Crabbeː

     Can this proud leech, with all his boasted skill, / Amend the soul or body, wit or will?

   • 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter:a Romance, page 141

     For the sake of the minister’s health, and to enable the leech to gather plants with healing balm in them, they took long walks on the seashore or in the forest; mingling various talk with the plash and murmur of the waves, and the solemn wind anthem among in treetops.

   • 1992, Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, Harper Perennial 2007, p. 11:

     He coughed sputum stained with blood, and a scraping, crackling noise came from his chest, quite audible to anyone in the room. ‘Lungs possibly not too good,’ the leech said.

2. (Germanic paganism) A healer.
   • 1900, Augustus Henry Keane, Man, Past and Present, The University Press (Cambridge)

     Their functions are threefold, those of the medicine-man (the leech, または healer by supernatural means); of the soothsayer (the prophet through communion with the invisible world); and of the priest, especially in his capacity as exorcist

   • 1996, Swain Wodening, “Scandinavian Craft Lesson 6: Runic Divination”, Theod Magazine 3 (4)

     In ancient times runesters were a specialized class separate from that of the witch or ordinary spell caster (much as the other specialists such as the leech または healer かつ the seithkona were different from a witch), and even today many believe it takes years of training to become adept at using the runes in spell work.

   • 2003, Brian Froud and Ari Berk, The Runes of Elfland, Pavillion Books, →ISBN, page 22

     "Leech?" "Not another doctor".

   • 2004, Runic John, The Book of Seidr, Capall Bann Publishing, →ISBN, page 282

     There are many kinds of "Leech" or "healer" as there are healing techniques, some are more powerful than others and some are very specific to certain illnesses and complaints; some use potions and unguents, others crystals and stones, others galdr and some work their healing from within the hidden realms themselves.

同意語

• (physician): barber, doctor, physician
• (healer in Heathenry): healer

派生語

• leechbook
• leechcraft
• leechdom
• leechery

語源 3

From Middle English lechen (“to cure, heal, treat”), from Middle English leche (“doctor, physician”). Compare Swedish läka (“to heal”).

動詞

leech (三人称単数 現在形 leeches, 現在分詞 leeching, 過去形および過去分詞形 leeched)

1. (archaic, rare) To treat, cure or heal.
   • 1564, Accounts of Louth Corporalː

     Paid for leeching.. my horses very sick.

   • 1566–74, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotlandː

     To one man (that) broke his leg in Strivelin … Item to the man that leecheth him.

   • 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], published 1708, OCLC 13320837:

     though there are many Pretenders to the Art of Farriering and Cow-leeching, yet many of them are very ignorant , especially in the Countrie

   • 1850, Blackieː

     A disease that none may leech.

同意語

• (make better): treat, cure, heal

派生語

• leecher

参照

• NED

語源 4

From Middle English lek, leche, lyche, from Old Norse lík (“leechline”), from Proto-West Germanic *līk, from Proto-Germanic *līką (compare West Frisian lyk (“band”), Dutch lijk (“boltrope”), Middle High German geleich (“joint, limb”)), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- ‘to bind’ (compare Latin ligō (“tie, bind”), Ukrainian нали́гати (nalýhaty, “to bridle, fetter”), Albanian lidh (“to bind”), Hittite link- (caus. linganu-) ‘to swear’ (with -n- infix).

名詞

leech (複数形 leeches)

1. (nautical) The vertical edge of a square sail.
   • 1984, Sven Donaldson, A Sailor's Guide to Sails, page 130

     To help combat these problems, almost all sailmakers trim the leeches of their headsails to a hollow or concave profile and enclose a LEECHLINE within the leech tabling.

2. (nautical) The aft edge of a triangular sail.
   • 2004, Gary Jobson, Gary Jobson's Championship Sailing, page 176

     Trim the leech of the jib parallel to the main by watching the slot between the mainsail and the jib.

派生語

• leech line

参考

• parts of a sail on Wikipedia.
• foot
• luff

アナグラム

• chele, leche