medicinal leech
noun
a bloodsucking leech, Hirudo medicinalis, of Europe, introduced into the northeastern U.S., usually green with brown stripes, up to 4 inches (10 cm) long: once used by physicians to bleed patients.
Origin of medicinal leech
First recorded in 1885–90
Words nearby medicinal leech
medici,
medici, lorenzo de,
medicide,
medicinable,
medicinal,
medicinal leech,
medicine,
medicine ball,
medicine bow range,
medicine bow river,
medicine bundle
British Dictionary definitions for medicinal leech
medicinal leech
noun
a large European freshwater leech, Hirudo medicinalis, formerly used in medical bloodletting