Leech vs. Sail — What's the Difference?

Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular, segmented bodies that can lengthen and contract.

A sail is a tensile structure—made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may be made from a combination of woven materials—including canvas or polyester cloth, laminated membranes or bonded filaments—usually in a three- or four-sided shape.

Any of various chiefly aquatic carnivorous or bloodsucking annelid worms of the class (or subclass) Hirudinea, of which one species (Hirudo medicinalis) was formerly widely used by physicians for therapeutic bloodletting.

A piece of material extended on a mast to catch the wind and propel a boat or ship or other vessel

One that preys on or clings to another; a parasite.

A wind-catching apparatus attached to the arm of a windmill.

(Archaic) A physician.

A voyage or excursion in a ship, especially a sailing ship or boat

Either vertical edge of a square sail.

The conning tower of a submarine.

The after edge of a fore-and-aft sail.

A canvas sheet or tarpaulin

To bleed with leeches.

Travel in a boat with sails, especially as a sport or recreation

To drain the essence or exhaust the resources of.

Move smoothly and rapidly or in a stately or confident manner

To attach oneself to another in the manner of a leech.

A piece of fabric sewn together and fitted to the spars and rigging of a vessel so as to convert the force of the wind into forward motion of the vessel.

An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.

The sails of a ship or boat.

(figuratively) A person who derives profit from others in a parasitic fashion.

A narrow fairwater supporting the bridge of a submarine.

A glass tube designed for drawing blood from damaged tissue by means of a vacuum.

Pl. sail or sails Nautical A sailing vessel.

(archaic) A physician.

(Nautical) A trip or voyage in a sailing craft.

(Germanic paganism) A healer.

Something, such as the blade of a windmill, that resembles a sail in form or function.

(nautical) The vertical edge of a square sail.

To move across the surface of water, especially by means of a sailing vessel.

(nautical) The aft edge of a triangular sail.

To travel by water in a vessel.

To apply a leech medicinally, so that it sucks blood from the patient.

To start out on such a voyage or journey

To drain (resources) without giving back.

To operate a sailing craft, especially for sport.

To treat, cure or heal.

To move along or progress smoothly or effortlessly

See 2d Leach.

To move along through the air

The border or edge at the side of a sail.

To navigate or manage (a vessel).

A physician or surgeon; a professor of the art of healing.

To voyage upon or across

Any one of numerous genera and species of annulose worms, belonging to the order Hirudinea, or Bdelloidea, esp. those species used in medicine, as Hirudo medicinalis of Europe, and allied species.

(nautical) A piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged such that it causes the wind to drive the boat along. The sail may be attached to the boat via a combination of mast, spars and ropes.

A glass tube of peculiar construction, adapted for drawing blood from a scarified part by means of a vacuum.

The concept of a sail or sails, as if a substance.

To treat as a surgeon; to doctor; as, to leech wounds.

(uncountable) The power harnessed by a sail or sails, or the use of this power for travel or transport.

To bleed by the use of leeches.

A trip in a boat, especially a sailboat.

Carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic or terrestrial worms typically having a sucker at each end

A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.

A follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage

(nautical) The conning tower of a submarine.

Draw blood;

The blade of a windmill.

A tower-like structure found on the dorsal (topside) surface of submarines.

The floating organ of siphonophores, such as the Portuguese man-of-war.

(fishing) A sailfish.

(paleontology) an outward projection of the spine, occurring in certain dinosaurs and synapsids

Anything resembling a sail, such as a wing.

To be impelled or driven forward by the action of wind upon sails, as a ship on water; to be impelled on a body of water by steam or other power.

To move through or on the water; to swim, as a fish or a waterfowl.

To ride in a boat, especially a sailboat.

(intransitive) To set sail; to begin a voyage.

To move briskly and gracefully through the air.

(intransitive) To move briskly but sedately.

To deal out (cards) from a distance by impelling them across a surface.

An extent of canvas or other fabric by means of which the wind is made serviceable as a power for propelling vessels through the water.

Anything resembling a sail, or regarded as a sail.

A wing; a van.

The extended surface of the arm of a windmill.

A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.

A passage by a sailing vessel; a journey or excursion upon the water.

To be impelled or driven forward by the action of wind upon sails, as a ship on water; to be impelled on a body of water by the action of steam or other power.

To move through or on the water; to swim, as a fish or a water fowl.

To be conveyed in a vessel on water; to pass by water; as, they sailed from London to Canton.

To set sail; to begin a voyage.

To move smoothly through the air; to glide through the air without apparent exertion, as a bird.

To pass or move upon, as in a ship, by means of sails; hence, to move or journey upon (the water) by means of steam or other force.

To fly through; to glide or move smoothly through.

To direct or manage the motion of, as a vessel; as, to sail one's own ship.

A large piece of fabric (as canvas) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel

An ocean trip taken for pleasure

Traverse or travel by ship on (a body of water);

Move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions;

Travel in a boat propelled by wind;

Travel by boat on a boat propelled by wind or by other means;