leech
noun[C]
uk/liːtʃ/us/liːtʃ/atypeofwormthatlivesinwetplacesandfastensitself onto thebodiesofhumansandanimalstofeedontheirblood
水蛭,蚂蟥VitalisG/iStock/Getty Images Plus/GettyImages
disapproving
apersonwho givesattentionto someone over alongperiodinorderto gettheirmoneyorsupport
(指人)吸血鬼,寄生虫Worms, snails, slugs & similar animals
- annelid
- centipede
- earthworm
- echinococcus
- escargot
- fluke
- gastropod
- limacine
- millepede
- millipede
- nematode
- pill bug
- roly-poly
- roundworm
- slug
- snail
- tapeworm
- worm
leech
verb[IorT]
disapprovinguk/liːtʃ/us/liːtʃ/to getmoney,food, etc. from otherpeople,especiallywithoutworkingfor it or doing anything todeserveit:
I don'twantto leechoffmyparentsanylonger.
Billions ofpoundswere being leeched fromdevelopingcountriesbytaxavoidance.
- Frank stillliveswith hismother, while Rick leeches off hisfather.
- That was the onlytimethat I havetrulyfeltlike aparasitebecause IfeltI was leeching frompeople.
- The 90% of theaudiencewho leeched and freeloaded, whocontributednothing to the show, gotexactlywhat theydeserved: nothing.
Making appeals & requests
- appellate
- ask forsomeone
- behest
- call for orderphrase
- call onsomeone
- callsomeonein
- cap
- claim
- demand
- implore
- invite
- pay claim
- petitioner
- propitiation
- push forsomething
- put in forsomething
- put the squeeze onsomeoneidiom
- reapply
- requester
- requisition