Forms: 1 lǽce, Northumb. léce, 2–6 leche, 3 lache, læche, liache, 3, 6 leache, 4 leyche, 4–5 lecche, 4–6 lech, 5 leeche, lieche, 6 Sc. leiche, leitche, 6–9 leach, 6– leech. [OE. lǽce str. masc. (once lǽca wk.), corresponds to OFris. (dative) letza, leischa, OHG. lâhhi, MSw. läkir (Da. læge; ON. has the cognate lǽknir, and mod.Sw. läkare, from the vb. läka to heal), Goth. lêkeis:—OTeut. *lǣkjo-z:—pre-Teut. *lēgio-s; the synonymous Irish liaigh (OIr. liaig, dat. pl. legib) is app. related in some way.]
1. A physician; one who practises the healing art.
Now arch. (chiefly poet.) or jocular; often apprehended as a transferred use of LEECH sb.2 In the 17th c. it was applied in ordinary prose use only to veterinary practitioners, and this sense survives in some dialects. (See also the combs. bullock-leech, cow-leech, HORSE-LEECH, etc.)
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. xxi. [xix.] (1890), 320. Cyneferð læce, se æt hire wæs, þa heo forðferde.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Luke iv. 23. La lece lecna ðec seolfne.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 83. Nu bihoueð þe forwunded wreche þet he habbe leche.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 101/7. On leches heo hadde i-spendet Muche del of hire guod.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 26322. Als lech þou suld seke man hale.
c. 1340. Hampole, Psalter vi. 1. Þe hand of þe leche brennand or sherend.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sompn. T., 248. What nedeth hym þat hath a parfit leche To sechen othere leches in the toun?
c. 1450. Merlin, 574. The kynge delyuered hem leches to couer theire woundes.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XIII. Prol. 80. Als stern of spech As he had bene ane medycyner or lech.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. v. 17. Many skilfull leaches him abide To salve his hurts.
a. 1656. Hales, Serm. at Eton (1673), 40. They that come and tell you what you are to believe,… and tell you not why, they are not Medici, but Veterinarii, they are not Physicians, but Leaches.
1715. Rowe, Lady Jane Grey, I. i. 2. The hoary wrinkled Leach has … Try’d ev’ry health-restoring Herb and Gum.
1776. Phil. Trans., LXVI. 498. A farrier and bullock-leach.
1807. Crabbe, Par. Reg., III. (1810), 43. Can this proud leech, with all his boasted skill, Amend the soul or body, wit or will?
1820. Scott, Abbot, vi. A learned leech with some new drug.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), II. 85. Grudging the leech his growing bill.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., I. I. 121. As one who lays all hope aside, Because the leech has said his life must end.
b. transf. and fig. Applied often to God and Christ, and spiritual persons.
a. 1200. Moral Ode, 303. Ich kan beo ȝif i scal lichame and soule liache.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 41. Ure louerd ihesu crist is alre herdene herde and alre lechene leche.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 182. Þus is sicnesse soule leche, & salue of hire wunden.
1340. Ayenb., 129. Þe holi gost is þe guode leche þet amaystreþ his ziknesse.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sompn. T., 184. God that is oure lyues leche.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., XII. 129. The best Of benes boyled water may be leche To sle the frost.
a. 1547. Surrey, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 221. My hartes delight my sorowes leche mine earthly goddesse here.
† 2. = leechman, LEECH-FINGER. Obs.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., 303/311. Þe nexte finguer hatte ‘leche.’
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 753/2. Hic medius, the longman. Hic medi[c]us, the leche. Hic auricularis, the lythylman.
3. attrib. and Comb., as leech-fee, ‘a physician’s fee’ (Cent. Dict.); † leech-house, a hospital; leechman, † a physician; also (now dial.) = LEECH-FINGER.
14[?]. Camb. MS. Ff. v. 48 lf. 82 (Halliw., s.v. Fingers). The lest fyngir hat lityl man, for hit is lest of alle; The next fynger hat leche man, for quen a leche dos oȝt, With that fynger he tastes all thyng, howe that hit is wroȝt.
1483. Cath. Angl., 211/1. A Leche house, laniena, quia infirmi ibi laniantur.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. iv. 401. Light-bringer, Laureat, Leach-man, all-Reviver.
1600. F. L., Ovid’s Remedy of Love, B 2. The Leachmans skill.
1888. Syd. Soc. Lex., Leechman, a practitioner of medicine.
