蛭 (zhì) - leech & a type of annelid worm that feeds on

蛭Tone 4

zhì ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

志

蛭 · zhì

leech;

a type of annelid worm that feeds on blood, often found in freshwater environments;

also refers to bloodsucking parasites.

leecha type of annelid worm that feeds onalso refers to bloodsucking parasites.

Usage highlights

medicinal leechland leechhorse leechleech therapyleech biteblood

Synonyms

  • 水蛭— water leech (most common term)
  • 蚂蟥— leech (colloquial term)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The doctor used medicinal leeches (医用水蛭) in the procedure.
  • Leeches are often found in ponds and rice fields (水蛭).
  • Some species of leeches are used in traditional medicine (药用蛭).
  • He was bitten by a leech while swimming (被蛭咬了).

Collocations

  • medicinal leech(医用水蛭)
  • land leech(山蛭)
  • horse leech(马蛭)
  • leech therapy(蛭疗法)
  • leech bite(蛭咬)
  • blood-sucking leech(吸血蛭)

Idioms

  • Like a leech sucking blood(如蛭吸血)
  • Leech-like persistence(水蛭般的执着)
  • Attach like a leech(如蛭附身)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Leeches have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for bloodletting since ancient times.
  • In Chinese culture, leeches are often used metaphorically to describe parasitic or bloodsucking behavior.
  • Some historical medical texts document the therapeutic use of leeches for various ailments.

FAQ