horse-leechn.
/ˈhɔːsliːtʃ/, U.S. /ˈhɔrsˌlitʃ/ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > veterinary medicine and surgery > [noun] > veterinarian > farrier
marshalc1387
horse-leech1493
horse marshal1508
farrier1562
horse-doctor1672
mule-doctor1678
hippiatrica1690
1493 in J. T. Fowler Memorials Church SS. Peter & Wilfrid, Ripon (1888) III. 165 Item Johanni Hors~leych pro medicacione j equo magistri Langton, 7d.
?1518 Cocke Lorelles Bote sig. B.vj Bokell smythes, horse leches, and gold beters.
1529 T. More Dialogue Heresyes ii. x. 52 b/2 Saynt Loy we make an horsleche, and must let our horse rather renne vnshodde and marre hys hoofe than to shoo hym on hys daye.
1653 Z. Bogan Medit. Mirth Christian Life 234 The horse..will not endure the hand of the horseleech.
2. An aquatic sucking worm ( Hæmopsis sanguisorba) differing from the common leech in its larger size, and in the formation of the jaws.In some early quots. it seems to mean the common medicinal leech.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > invertebrates > subkingdom Metazoa > grade Triploblastica or Coelomata > phylum Annelida > [noun] > class Hirudinea > member of family Hirundinidae
horse-eelc1400
horse-leech1530
14.. in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 706/26 Hec sanguissuga, a horsleche.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 232/2 Horse leche, a worme, sansue.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Prov. xxx. B This generacion (which is like an horsleche) hath two doughters [Wycliffite The watir leche hath twei douȝtris]: ye one is called, fetch hither: the other, brynge hither.
1574 J. Baret Aluearie H 615 An Horse leache, or bloudsucker worme, hirudo.
1581 J. Marbeck Bk. Notes & Common Places 503 The Horse-leach hath two daughters..that is, two forks in her tongue, which he heere calleth her daughters, wherby she sucketh the bloud, and is neuer saciate.
1625 J. Hart Anat. Urines i. ii. 15 Horse-leaches were wont to taste of the horses dung.
1813 W. Bingley Animal Biogr. (ed. 4) III. 412 Horse-leeches are..so extremely greedy of blood, that a vulgar notion is prevalent, that nine of them are able to destroy a horse.
1880 Chambers's Encycl. VI. 74/2 The Horse-leech..is much larger than the medicinal species..but its teeth are comparatively blunt, and it is little of a blood-sucker—notwithstanding the popular notion..It feeds greedily on earth-worms.
3. figurative. A rapacious, insatiable person.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > inordinate or excessive desire > [noun] > rapacity > rapacious person
gorgec1450
sanguisugec1540
horse-leech1546
harpy1589
vulture1605
leech1785
sanguisorb1884
1546 Supplic. Poor Commons sig. a.iiiv Besydes the infinite nombre of purgatorie horsleaches.
1608 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. (new ed.) ii. iv. 118 Thou, life of Strife, thou Horse-leach sent from Hell.
1705 E. Hickeringill Priest-craft 14 Of all Priests, the Popes have been in several Ages the great Horse-leaches, and Blood-suckers.
1836–48 B. D. Walsh tr. Aristophanes Clouds i. i He has disregarded my advice, and stuck horse-leeches on to my estate.
Derivatives
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > destroy [verb (transitive)] > devour, engulf, or consume (of fire, water, etc.) > consume or destroy wastefully (time, money, etc.)
to wear out1390
exhaust1541
horse-leech1679
to eat up1680
racket1753
to run into the ground1836
short1979
1679 Protestant Conformist 3 They have thereby Horse-leach'd a great deal of the best blood in Europe.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > veterinary medicine and surgery > [noun] > farriery
marshalcyc1450
ferruriea1616
hippiatrics1646
hippiatry1653
farrying1678
horse-leechery1688
mule-medicine1716
farriery1737
horse-doctoring1807
1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. 149/2 Horse Leachery, or Leach-craft, is the Art of curing Horses of Diseases.
ΚΠ
1688*Leach-craft [see horse-leechery n.].
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.14..