Horse-leech
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A type of sucking worm, Haemopis sanguisuga, larger than the common leech.
"Some use horse-leeches behind the ears, and apply opium to the place."
- 2 A veterinarian for horses. obsolete
Example
More examples"Some use horse-leeches behind the ears, and apply opium to the place."
Etymology
From Middle English horseleche, horse leche (“horse doctor; bloodsucker, leech”), equivalent to horse + leech. The worm is so called because it commonly attacks the membrane that lines the inside of the mouth and nostrils of animals, such as horses, that drink at pools where it lives.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.