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leech3

Syllabification: (leech)

Pronunciation: /lēCH/

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Definition of leech

noun

Sailing

the after or leeward edge of a fore-and-aft sail, the leeward edge of a spinnaker, or a vertical edge of a square sail.

Origin:

late 15th century: probably of Scandinavian origin and related to Swedish lik, Danish lig, denoting a rope sewn round the edge of a sail to stop the canvas from tearing