horse-leech

noun

A type of sucking worm, Haemopis sanguisuga, larger than the common leech.

OriginMiddle English horseleche →
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Meanings

nounhorse-leech (plural horse-leeches)

plural horse-leeches

  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.

    1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 5, member 1, subsection vi
  2. obsoleteA veterinarian for horses.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishhorseleche
  2. Englishhorse-leech

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.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 馬蛭 /马蛭
  • 馬蛭 /马蛭 (mǎzhì)Haemopis sanguisuga
Czech pijavka koňská
  • pijavka koňskáHaemopis sanguisuga
Estonian hobukaan
  • hobukaanHaemopis sanguisuga
Finnish hevosjuotikas
  • hevosjuotikasHaemopis sanguisuga
German Pferdeegel
  • PferdeegelHaemopis sanguisuga
Hebrew עֲלוּקָה
  • עֲלוּקָה ('aluká)Haemopis sanguisuga
Hungarian lópióca
  • lópiócaHaemopis sanguisuga
Irish súmaire
  • súmaireHaemopis sanguisuga
Japanese ウマヒル
  • ウマヒル (umahiru)Haemopis sanguisuga
Korean 말거머리
  • 말거머리 (malgeomeori)Haemopis sanguisuga
Norwegian hesteigle
  • hesteigleHaemopis sanguisuga
Polish pijawka końska
  • pijawka końskaHaemopis sanguisuga
Russian ко́нская пия́вка
  • ко́нская пия́вка (kónskaja pijávka)Haemopis sanguisuga
Swedish hästigel
  • hästigelHaemopis sanguisuga
Vietnamese đỉa trâu
  • đỉa trâuHaemopis sanguisuga
Cite this entry
APA

horse-leech. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horse-leech

MLA

“horse-leech.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horse-leech. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “horse-leech,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horse-leech.

Source: horse-leech on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.